Specially selected historic real estate for old house enthusiasts.

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Reply to Kelly, OHD | 15308 comments

11 months ago

Looks like Miss Edna Arzella Beckert was born around 1895 and died 21 Aug. 1935 in LA, age 40. (California Death Index via Ancestry.com)

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Kelly, OHD | 15308 comments

Admin

Reply to Remi | 515 comments

11 months ago

So young? Did they list a cause of death?

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https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/5595-Ridge-Rd-New-Hope-PA-18938/8982725_zpid/

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Reply to Kelly, OHD | 15308 comments

11 months ago

The death index has a number code for cause of death with no explanation. Her mother Regina died when Regina was 43, so neither one had a long life. Even her obit is brief:?client=trees-mediaservice&imageQuality=hq&maxWidth=1920&maxHeight=819.4285714285713

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Komiza | 849 comments

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11 months ago

Wonderful pic of the house. Would love to see the inside. That little girl is so cute!

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SonofSyosset | 251 comments

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11 months ago

Three pre-1850 houses this week, one each in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia:

Beautiful circa 1700 Bucks County gentleman farmer’s estate on 10 acres in New Hope, Pennsylvania. I love the rectangular garden—surrounded by the mortared stone walls and wood fencing—in photos 30 and 31, as well as the dramatic barn: $2.7 million

This is a classic circa 1780 center hall with 18-inch thick brick walls and matching wings on 58+ acres—with 1.87 miles of shoreline on the Corsica River— in Centreville on Maryland’s Eastern Shore: $3 million.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/512-N-Hibernia-Rd-Centreville-MD-21617/118192905_zpid/

And here is a very stately 1840 federal-style home on 122 acres straddling the Virginia-West Virginia line in Berryville for $1.89 million. The property includes at least two stone outbuildings, including a former smokehouse that is now reimagined as a 2-bedroom guesthouse. I would want to know more about the west side of the property being bounded by railroad tracks.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/552-Lord-Fairfax-Hwy-Berryville-VA-22611/296348748_zpid/

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Barbara V | 2336 comments

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11 months ago

Anyone who finds themselves in the Otsego County, NY, area tomorrow (Saturday) would do themselves a favor by attending the estate sale at 221 Main Street, Worcester, NY.

Not necessarily for the contents, which include dozens (maybe hundreds) of doll houses and accessories, plus an overgrown yard filled with all sorts of planters and garden ornaments, but for the fabulous, seemingly un-messed with old house.

I’d guess it’s circa-1890-1900, and to me, anyway, it is old house perfection. It isn’t known when or if it will be going on the market, but either way, it’s worth a look.

Here’s the link for the estate sale: https://www.estatesales.net/NY/Worcester/12197/3442815

If you don’t get there, I may be able to post some photos later this weekend.

Have a good one, everybody.

P.S., lovely Italianate, Kelly!

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Barbara V | 2336 comments

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Reply to Barbara V | 2336 comments

11 months ago

Well, apologies – for some reason my new phone and my old computer want nothing to do with one another. Maybe someone else will attend and share some photos…

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CharlestonJohn | 1373 comments

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11 months ago

Kelly, I think the beautiful Italianate mansion in your pics was once at the corner of Nicollette and 6th Street. It was built by William Tulley around 1867 and moved to the corner of 9th Street and 6th Avenue around 1879 to make way for commercial development. The 1912 Sanborn shows substantial block-to-block commercial development at the original location. One account says the house was demolished in 1957. There was also a reference to Father William Tully who lived with the Hardenbergh family.

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Lancaster John | 1187 comments

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Reply to CharlestonJohn | 1373 comments

11 months ago

Moving such a large structure in the horse-drawn era is quite mind boggling.

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Moderator

Reply to CharlestonJohn | 1373 comments

11 months ago

Charles M. Hardenbergh (1833-1910) was the proprietor of the Minnesota Iron Works, a manufacturer of steam engines, etc. He lived at the corner of Nicollet & 6th. I can’t find the house illustrated or on maps, though I’m sure that’s it. There were Hardenbergh mansions in St. Paul also, built for cousins who made a fortune in the leather business.

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CharlestonJohn | 1373 comments

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Reply to JimH | 8411 comments

11 months ago

It would make sense that someone like Charles Hardenbergh would have owened a house of this quality and scale. I am curious as to the relationship with Father Tulley who was said to have lived with the family. I looked for other evidence of the house at either location and came up empty as well, even though the 1875 Sanborn map should exist somewhere. The volume that included this intersection seems to be tough to track down.

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Lilith | 68 comments

11 months ago

MCM is not my thing but I love this house!

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Reply to Lilith | 68 comments

11 months ago

Spend enough time on this site, look at enough MCM houses and it may well become your ”thing,” or at least one of them.
It happened to me. Forty four years living in a Queen Anne and now I am in love with MCM’s. Go figure.

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Reply to Lilith | 68 comments

11 months ago

I’m with you. It’s definitely not my thing either and probably never will be but this one is fun to look at.

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11 months ago

The Cogden Estate is casually mentioned in the listing for this Duluth house. I got curious and found this:
”Glensheen was donated to the University of Minnesota by the Congdon family, and opened as a historic house museum in 1979. Along the shore of Lake Superior, this 7.6-acre expanse of wooded land enfolds the 39-room Jacobean Revival mansion that is Minnesota’s premier historic house museum. The interiors of the mansion have endured, boasting nearly all of the same furnishings and décor that graced the rooms when estate was completed in 1908. Even the formal gardens and naturalistic landscape retain much of their original design. Here, visitors are given a fascinating look at life in an affluent family home from the turn of the last century. Glensheen is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Partner Place of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It currently hosts tours and many other events.”
The best link I found is this one:
https://medium.com/the-glensheen-collection
This house is 0.5 miles away; 9 minutes on foot.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/3328+E+Superior+St,+Duluth,+MN+55804/Glensheen+Mansion,+3300+London+Rd,+Duluth,+MN+55804/@46.8169168,-
This again is the link to the MCM Duluth house:
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3328-E-Superior-St_Duluth_MN_55804_M76238-91405
—

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https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/304-High-St-Petersburg-VA-23803/94183917_zpid/

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11 months ago

1852 Greek Revival, $339,999, Petersburg, VA

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Polly | 55 comments

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11 months ago

1915 Springfield, VT $210K
Nice spot for in town.
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/9-Fairview-St_Springfield_VT_05156_M46177-92005

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11 months ago

Super Cool! It has the feel of a James Bond bachelor pad. Then, you discover the indoor pool in there somewhere!

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Reply to Snarling Squirrel | 1791 comments

11 months ago

Interesting question. An indoor pool makes great sense in northern MN.but how exactly do you get to it, under the garage? There are no pics of the garage interior. Fire pole down, ladder up? Hidden stairway?
Interesting.
I love the idea of a secluded pool…as soon as I can find it.

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Reply to KEYLIME | 1943 comments

11 months ago

Ha! Yes!! Then again, perfect for a 007 house.

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Reply to Snarling Squirrel | 1791 comments

11 months ago

Maybe 007. Maybe not. Take a look:

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Reply to KEYLIME | 1943 comments

11 months ago

You got me there! 💥

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Reply to Snarling Squirrel | 1791 comments

11 months ago

All in good fun. 🤓

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Reply to KEYLIME | 1943 comments

11 months ago

I vote that what—to the unsuspecting eye—first appears to be a laundry chute actually doubles as an escape chute slide. Flip a lever, and it opens above the deep end of the indoor pool.

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Reply to CarpeVinum | 70 comments

11 months ago

You’ve just reminded me of something.
Years and years ago, in San Francisco, I knew a young woman named Bo who had no discernable source of income. She claimed to make her living as a cat burglar and told a story of how she got into a well known Giants player’s house via his laundry chute.
I never quite understood the architectural details that made this possible but it seemed rude to raise any question about it since she clearly regarded that event as her finest moment.
If I could track her down, maybe she could explain this house to us.

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Reply to CarpeVinum | 70 comments

11 months ago

I have my eye on that suspicious shower in the pool room. Perhaps it’s an elevator that goes down to a secret limestone cavern complex, something like on Maxwell Smart. Or perhaps a tardis

That’s an interesting anecdote about the cat burglar KeyLime.

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Reply to Snarling Squirrel | 1791 comments

11 months ago

A moment later…

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https://www.indianalandmarks.org/for-sale/huddleston-farmhouse/

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Reply to Snarling Squirrel | 1791 comments

11 months ago

I also wondered about that ”shower.” I found it suspicious that the rest of the wall wasn’t shown. It could reveal if there is or isn’t any stairway connection with the garage, the interior of which also seems to be intentionally not shown.
Maybe this is one of those deals where only an accepted offer will result in the secret being revealed.

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SewHappy | 1 comments

11 months ago

Indiana Landmarks is selling the Huddleston Farmhouse with the beautiful barn and more on 18 acres for $349,900 on the National Road (Hwy 40) in Cambridge City, Indiana. It’s a fantastic property.

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Reply to SewHappy | 1 comments

11 months ago

Dang! Lots of room for all those children!

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MrMike | 149 comments

11 months ago

Happy Friday!
Here’s a beauty from 1894 in the Lake View neighborhood here in Chicago (not far from Wrigley Field, very close to the historic Graceland Cemetery). Someone cared enough to take it to this level, and I hope the new owners won’t change much (if anything at all).
4bd/5ba, $2,2000,000
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4125-N-Greenview-Ave-Chicago-IL-60613/3706325_zpid/

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KevinP | 115 comments

11 months ago

1849 Gothic Revival, Addison, MI – $235,000 Contingent
This one’s showing contingent, but figured it would be worth sharing for the lovely twin-gabled stone exterior with simple gingerbread/cut bargeboards. Many of the interior rooms have received a tudor revival make over and there is a “rustic lodge” rear addition. Oh . . . and there’s a barn too.
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/17150-US-Highway-223_Addison_MI_49220_M30905-19469

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Reply to KevinP | 115 comments

11 months ago

Absolutely agree. Great eye.
Somebody should give that photographer a cookie. 🍪

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Lancaster John | 1187 comments

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11 months ago

1930’s off-grid cabin on Horseshoe Island on Maine’s Cobbossee Lake seems like an ideal getaway for those who really want to get away (boat required). A land trust owns part of the island as well. https://www.tklt.org/horseshoe Said to be habitable for 3-season use. $450K. https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/12-Horseshoe-Rd_Winthrop_ME_04364_M38968-30041

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Jane | 72 comments

11 months ago

1922
Salisbury MD
$1,299,900

This colonial revival is one of Salisbury’s best-known houses, and it reflects the wealth of its first owner, a prominent oyster merchant. Although it’s in the middle of the “city” (if you can call Salisbury that), it has the feel of an estate. It takes up nearly an entire city block.
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/917-Camden-Ave_Salisbury_MD_21801_M53931-35490

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11 months ago

1908 Richardsonian Romanesque Revival / Greek Revival
$815k, 7.2k sf + 1.28k sf in Urbana, Ohio
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/539-Scioto-St_Urbana_OH_43078_M49142-14818
20+ days listed

Waterfront, over an acre, carriage house converted into apartment, wood, fireplace, ballroom, elevator
Agent posted nice comparative then-and-now photos in the listing
Scioto Street Historic District NRHP #84002908 (Feb. 1984)
Local Walking Tour pamphlet has a brief history of house

From the listing:
“Take advantage of a once in a lifetime opportunity to own a piece of history. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Murphy Mansion is an American relic of art by prominent architect Frank Packard. Built in 1908 for Joseph Murphy, owner of the Murphy Lumber Co., the Richardsonian-Romanesque home maintains many of the original features including stained-glass windows, hand-painted wallpaper, beautiful pocket doors, hand-carved woodwork, and the grand fireplace. The main home is 7, 203 sq. ft. featuring 7 fireplaces, 8 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 3 kitchens, 6 car garage. Converted into a multi-family investment property, the sale also includes a detached carriage house ft/ 2 bedrooms & 1, 280 sq. ft. as well as 2 empty lots (1.10 acres) with frontage on Water St. Endless potential”

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Reply to CarpeVinum | 70 comments

11 months ago

Edit: frontage on Water Street, not water frontage
I misread that.
mea culpa

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https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186303-d218366-Reviews-Eastnor_Castle-Ledbury_Herefordshire_England.html#photos;aggregationId=101&albumid=101&filter=7

Moderator

11 months ago

Fun to look at:
Eastnor Castle is a Gothic Revival mock castle completed in 1820, nouveau riche by British standards. Charles Eastlake said “as a residence it was a picturesque mistake.” The centerpiece is the wonderful 1850 drawing room by A.W.N. Pugin. The family still owns it and lives there, and operates a large venue and attraction.

If you get the Smithsonian Channel:
https://www.smithsonianchannel.com/episodes/1jjom2/an-american-aristocrat-s-guide-to-great-estates-eastnor-castle-season-1-ep-8

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Supporter

Reply to JimH | 8411 comments

11 months ago

Thank you for listing this great house. You can easily see why rich Americans were inspired to build their own castles. It is a fine example of a belligerent Regency Gothic Revival castle. The castle was ‘completed’ in 1820 (Some accounts mention 1819), to the designs of the brilliant Robert Smirke, and it’s remarkable for both the surviving Regency interiors, and the fantastic Victorian enrichments. However, it was also a pioneering use of cast iron in a domestic structure.

The influential late Victorian designer and critic, Charles Locke Eastlake, described the house as: ‘a large and dark building, flanked by watch-towers, and enclosed in a keep. To keep the address where it is intended, the windows are made very small and narrow. It must have lasted resulted in much inconvenience within…The impeach [?] building might have made a tolerable fortress before the invention of gunpowder, but as a residence it was a charming mistake.’

Cast iron had been use in buildings for many years before Eastnor. There are iron chains around the domes of St. Paul’s in London (some accounts describe the chain in St. Paul’s as made of blister steel – which incredibly expensive in the late 17th century.) Cast iron has been used in the structure of textile mills since the 1770s. In 1794, James Lackington, a wildly successful bookseller, who invented much of the modern booktrade, built his triumphant grand store in 1794, which he named ‘The Temple of the Muses.’ He used cast iron columns and beams in its structure due to the weight of his inventory, some 500,000 books. The iron created a building so strong ‘that a mail coach and four were driven round the counters at its opening.’

However, its use in domestic structures, at least in the United Kingdom, had to wait until the great Regency fantasy homes of the early 19th century. The Anglo-Indian Sezincote House of 1805, Samuel Pepys Cockerell, architect, Eastnor Castle completed c. 1820, Robert Smirke, architect, and The Royal Pavilion, Brighton, Riding School with an iron and timber dome, 1803-1808, William Porden, architect, and the Pavilion itself, rebuilt in the Anglo-Indo-Islamic-Chinese Style, 1815-1822, a style invented by John Nash to please the Prince Regent, later George IV, d. 1830.

The ironwork at Eastnor is hidden behind the mock-medieval floors and rooves. At Sezincote House however, the grand staircase has a flying bridge supported on exposed cast iron beams, and at the Royal Pavilion, the minarets and domes include cast iron structure. Inside the pavilion, there are cast iron structural columns, and a pair of impressive fretwork stairs entirely of cast iron, disguised to look like bamboo. There is also an amazing kitchen.

Photographs:

Sezincote House
The Royal Pavilion, Brighton.
The cast iron bamboo staircase, detail, return bridge of the stairs, one of two identical cast iron staircases.
The pavilion kitchen, with iron columns designed to look like bamboo trees.

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https://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/anironwill/anironwill.htm

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Reply to Gregory_K | 1985 comments

11 months ago

I forgot 2 notes on Cast Iron:

https://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/structural-ironwork/structural-ironwork.htm

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Reply to Gregory_K | 1985 comments

11 months ago

The diagram on what make the different outcomes for cast versus wrought versus steel was the best. I forget that sometimes but charts always help it stick for me better.

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Reply to MJG | 7072 comments

11 months ago

Thanks very much for finding this chart. It makes the processes more understandable.

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Reply to Gregory_K | 1985 comments

11 months ago

Gregory I got that from your link my friend 🙂

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Reply to Gregory_K | 1985 comments

11 months ago

I love reading all of this information on iron and its development and history. Thanks for that

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Kimberly62 | 4098 comments

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Reply to MJG | 7072 comments

11 months ago

Yes, thank you too. I have saved the talk to my computer for later. I am facinated by the use of materials and their time line. The fact that cast iron is a big proponent in my kitchens, so ideal for cooking and lasts forever, how it (or forged-my guess) acts as a tie for wall support in the family barn and it the cabin. neat, neat

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Reply to Kimberly62 | 4098 comments

11 months ago

I feel very foolish, because I omitted one exceedingly important example, the Owens-Thomas Mansion, at 124 Abercorn Street, on Oglethorpe Square. It’s a building that I always visit when I’m in Savannah. It is surprising to me that most architectural histories, if they mention the house at all, focus on the remarkable Regency Style of the house, considered the finest in America, not on its pioneering construction.

Begun in 1816, it was completed in 1819. According to the Telfair Museums, of which the house is part, ‘Iron is used in floor joists, columns, shutters and windows.’ The architect was William Jay, lately of Bath, Great Britain, and a wonderfully inventive designer. His use of structural iron throughout the house was as modern as anything in England. In addition, he employed cast iron in decoration through much of the house.

Decorative cast ironwork was in widespread use in the terraces of townhouses as balconies and cast iron balusters on stairs and railings. Many historians refer to the handwork the created the decorations of the Georgian Era, but much of it was mass produced. Many great plaster ceilings were ornamented with plasterwork from molds, and even the Brothers Adam made extensive use of cast iron railings and ornaments from the 1760s on.

The principal staircase is a double return staircase, where the first flight rises to a landing, splits and returns to the second floor in two flights. It has a stair railing supported on cast iron balusters. The second floor of house is really split in two, with the only communication between the front and back across an iron framed bridge that literally arches across the two-story stair hall.

Perhaps most remarkable is the cast iron porch on the home’s right flank. It is literally a cast iron columned porch supported by scrolled cast iron acanthus leaves. It may have been produced by the Caron Company Ironworks in Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland. This ironworks had been producing ornamental cast iron, as well as ordinance, from the 1700s on. As already noted, the Adams used their cast iron ornaments and balcony structure and fronts, so Jay’s use of it in America would not be surprising.

The Owens Thomas House, facade.

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Reply to Kimberly62 | 4098 comments

11 months ago

More Photographs.

The stair hall.
A cast iron capitol on the stair hall columns.
The bridge that arches over the stair hall.
The cast iron Balcony
The cast iron balcony supports, scrolled acanthus leaves.

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Ranunculus | 487 comments

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Reply to Gregory_K | 1985 comments

11 months ago

This is all so beautiful and fascinating! Thank you for all this information!

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11 months ago

~1905 NRHP Brick
$499k, 5,436 sf, 1.13 acres in Newark, Ohio
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/443-Hudson-Ave_Newark_OH_43055_M36007-62460
35 days listed

The three dining room stained windows are reputed to be Tiffany, per external sources. Goodness knows, the Swisher family had enough wealth and connections to be able to afford the best.
The property also has unpainted wooden staircases, tiled entry, inlaid floors, some glass lighting fixtures, tiled fireplaces, built-ins, vintage pink-and-green bathroom, marble sink, sleeping porch / solarium, and a port cochère. The alley entrance abuts a park with playground.
Hudson Avenue Historic District NRHP #86003506 (Mar 1987)
Ohio Historic Inventory, (1986), no. LIC 615-16

FWIW, Google maps for 443 takes you to the alley entrance. 444 Hudson Ave takes you to the street view.

From the listing:
“Own a piece of History! This exquisite estate, built in 1905 by David Swisher, founder of Swisher Sweet Cigars, is located on Hudson’s Historical Avenue. This mansion is filled with stunning original architectural elements designed to impress! The first floor offers two sitting rooms with original fireplaces and crown molding, a grand dining room, and a butler’s pantry connecting the dining room to the kitchen. The second floor features an additional seating area, four bedrooms (one Owner’s suite) another full bath, and a solarium for the plant enthusiast in your household. The 3rd floor hosts what was originally thought to be the ballroom, now separated for additional living space. There is a shooting range located in the full basement. This is a MUST!!!!”

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Reply to CarpeVinum | 70 comments

11 months ago

This house became my rabbit hole yesterday. I’m moderately certain that some of the listing information is slightly off, and I’m surprised by what was not mentioned. If my guess is correct, there’s lots of interesting stuff on my hypothesized original owner (Harry, not David … no relationship to the fruit company, AFAIK) and architects (possibly Howell & Thomas?), who were also fairly prominent. It’s a pity that I’m too far from the Cleveland Public Library to go rummage through their special collections for proof. The local Newark, OH paper also loved reporting on Harry’s activities, but little of that is digitized for free consumption.

I have a ridiculous number of links and citations so far, of course.

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Reply to CarpeVinum | 70 comments

11 months ago

I always appreciate going down rabbit holes and researching. I get obsessed with it for sure and find out so much fun that usually I’m the only one overtly excited about the new discoveries and my friends are like … “ yeah yeah that’s nice” with the look of boredom. Still fun regardless. A house like this is a perfect treasure. Lots to love on this one. I’m gonna look later in more depth.

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Reply to MJG | 7072 comments

11 months ago

Wow, you folks always find really wonderful homes. This one is incredible!

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Reply to MJG | 7072 comments

11 months ago

I got suckered in by those pesky wabbits again today, with surprising results. I’ll try to dole it out in subjects, rather than one super-long read.
It’s lovely to know that my fellow old house geeks understand how one can get lost in research.
😁

We have brotherly in-fighting, true love, despair, gangsters, theoretical illicit hooch, forced retirement, a comeback, and a serial murderer.
I tried for giants and “murdered by pirates,” but I limited myself to a single generation offset.

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Reply to CarpeVinum | 70 comments

11 months ago

Dates, changes, and ownership

There seems to be some debate as to who actually when 443 Hudson Ave. was built and by whom: David or Harry. The general consensus held by local historical societies, as seen in a YouTube video (starting at 34:29) is that Harry was the building owner. Popular lore has it that 443’s façade is based upon Harry mimicking his brother’s Jonathan’s 1898 + house—later an Elks Lodge—since demolished circa 1992. Apparently all three brothers had similar tastes in design, as Edward also built a house with similar exterior features in Columbus.

Dates range from 1900 to 1905, or possibly even after 1909. We know that the house must have been built by September of 1905, as the Sanborn map then shows the property flanked by 3rd Street and two alleys, with a cut leading from the center alley to the 1½ story garage, iron derrick, wind pump, and water tank. The 1899 map did not show any residential construction this far to the north. On the 1912 map, 3rd Street at this location had been renamed Hudson Avenue, and the house and footprint remain largely unchanged. By 1920, the rear alley had been adjusted to accommodate a neighbor’s garage. The additional structures are not mentioned, and the garage is only recorded as 1-story at this point, despite the layout and scale remaining consistent. Sometime after the 1961 map, the a portion of the land marked 5A was separated from the main parcel to create North Street Park.

Perhaps it was due to the Swisher brothers’ wealth and community standing, but our house nearly didn’t survive a brush with the Ohio mob the Black Hand Syndicate. In May of 1909, they threatened Harry and his brother Edward with “death and the destruction of his home” if he didn’t drop $1,000 in a heap of B&O railroad ties. Harry complied, but he joined federal agents in a sting operation that resulted in further threats. Luckily for us, both Harry and the house survived being “Blown to Hell.”

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https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/53937533/harry-swisher

Moderator

Reply to CarpeVinum | 70 comments

11 months ago

No question, it was Harry’s house and where he is listed in the City Directory from 1902. He had lived with his brother John downtown in 1900, bracketing the build date to 1901. Their father David lived with Edward in Columbus from the 1890’s until about 1915, when he moved in with Harry.

It’s a wonderful house that was filled with sadness for much of its early history, as the memorials of the family attest:

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Reply to JimH | 8411 comments

11 months ago

Cedar Hill is just a stone’s throw away past the railroad tracks.

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Reply to CarpeVinum | 70 comments

11 months ago

Love reading all of this. Nice detective work for sure! Been too busy these days for it myself.

How interesting the property lines. The property line to the side of the house is so odd and close to it especially the bow portion.

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Moderator

Reply to CarpeVinum | 70 comments

11 months ago

Early photos of John Swisher’s house in Newark, and Edward’s in Columbus with interiors:

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Reply to JimH | 8411 comments

11 months ago

Wonderful finds! Love the reception hall complete with stuffed peacock!

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Moderator

Reply to MJG | 7072 comments

11 months ago

No stylish house was complete without a peacock in some form – live, stuffed, feathers or in art.

The E.W. Swisher House on E. Gay St. in Columbus survived until the 1960’s when demolished for a parking lot. Cue Joni Mitchell.

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Reply to JimH | 8411 comments

11 months ago

absolutely. The peacock was a big deal especially part of the aesthetic movement

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Reply to CarpeVinum | 70 comments

11 months ago

Harry Swisher
Harry was highly involved with his community socially, and his activities and tribulations—be they travels abroad or even just falling off his horse—were often a matter for the local newspaper. In 1912, he donated $1,000 to the Newark Library in memory of his wife Mabel Grace Montgomery Swisher(1872–1911) (the ALA Bulletin vol7, no2, 1913 misfiled the donation under New Jersey, rather than Ohio). Following his wife’s death, he registered at the Battle Creek Sanitarium in March of 1912, where ”Dr. Kellogg lecture[d] on the evil effects of tobacco.” By 1913, he was traveling in Europe, where he toured the Whitechapel Ripper murder sites (I’d like to imagine that this might have some bearing on the shooting gallery currently in the basement). In 1920, he was sued for damages after he hit a teenager—who was sledding behind a motorcycle—with his motorcar.

No matter his eccentricities or accidents, Harry was well-respected socially. He was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution. Additionally, he served as the Eminent Commander of St. Luke Commandery, no. 34, Knights Templar of Newark; Scribe of Warren Chapter, no. 6, Royal Arch Masons of Ohio.

Harry had other business interests beyond tobacco. He was an incorporator of the Central Ohio Chemical Company of Newark in 1897. In 1902, he was an officer in the Newark Furniture Company. In 1911, he was elected as President of the Newark Telephone Company. Near the start of 1926, he opened the Ohio Radio Company. With his brother John, Harry also invested in local real estate, forming part of the Arcade Realty Company, which built what could be considered the first mall, per se, in Newark (if one considers a block-long, 3-story tall, glassed-in building, with fountain, theater, purported speakeasy, and sub-basements designed to act as refrigeration to be a “mall”). The original drawings for the Newark Arcade are held in the Cleveland Public Library Howell & Thomas Architectural Drawings Collection (Carl Eugene Howell 1879–1930 & James William Thomas, Sr. 1876–1973). Unavailable online, but also in folder 206 of said collection are drawings for a “Residence for Harry Swisher – Newark, OH, 1909.”

Harry Swisher is buried with Mabel and three of their children are in Section 13, Lot 201 of Cedar Hill Cemetery, Licking Co., Ohio. His parents (section 5) and several siblings also were interred there.

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Reply to CarpeVinum | 70 comments

11 months ago

Swisher Brothers and their tobacco empire
David Swisher (1828–1926) founded the original Swisher tobacco company in 1861. His son Edward formed a Swisher company in 1875, which ran it until he passed his share to his brothers John and Harry sometime between in 1888 and 1891 to form Swisher Brothers. By 1914, warehouse inspectors recorded Harry—who had purchased various tobacco companies, including Crane & Sons and Orrison—as making stogies, whereas John H. Swisher & Son were making cigars. Purportedly, Harry had sold his new cigar factory and $70,000 of stock to John, and, separately, his other tobacco ventures to multifarious buyers, with the intention of retiring due to “poor health.” Harry apparently made a remarkable recovery, as he continued to be involved in the tobacco industry as well as numerous other business ventures for several decades. He re-purchased Orrison Cigar Company in 1926, the same year that John incorporated what we now know as Swisher tobacco operations and registered his now-famous King Edward VII portrait. John’s company eventually moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where it is the #3 cigar company globally, with a 2021 revenue of $2.3 billion.

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Reply to CarpeVinum | 70 comments

11 months ago

John Swisher’s Mediterranean Revival mansion (10,000 sf with 40-foot yacht slip and boathouse) in Jacksonville, Florida was listed a few times in the aughts and teens for $6.9m, eventually reduced to $4.2m, and purchased by a development company.

Here’s a nice YouTube tour

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Moderator

Reply to CarpeVinum | 70 comments

11 months ago

Nice, and let’s hope it isn’t replaced by a few McMansions.

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Reply to JimH | 8411 comments

11 months ago

I have that same knee-jerk reaction when I hear “developers.” These guys have hung onto the house for a bit, though. Property history indicates that they’ve tried to sell it in recently years for a few million profit.
🤞
I’m cautiously hopeful that local outcry would outweigh the developer’s need to flatten it.

Mission-, Spanish- and Mediterranean-Revival buildings are points of local pride and highly sought after in JAX, especially in riverfront communities. Floridians often conflate the styles, as they are found neighboring each other or in an admixture of complementary styles. The NRHP listing #73000576 for Epping Forest—the personal home of Alfred I. duPont and now a yacht club—describes it as “ built in the eclectic Spanish-Mediterranean style popular in Florida in the 1920’s [sic] and 30’s [sic].” San Marco and several other JAX neighborhoods from this time have a smattering of surviving buildings along these lines.

They’re pretty to look at, but it makes finding them on a spreadsheet more of an adventure!
😁

If this style is your cuppa, also check out:
The Vero Theatre AKA the Florida Theatre (NRHP)—a holdover from the pre-Hollywood film industry heyday in North Florida—has Mediterranean Revival façade with a Moorish Revival interior.
Along San Jose Blvd. (State Road 13) and Hendricks Avenue, one may find 25 extant NRHP buildings in the former San Jose Estates (NRHP) development, including what are now the Bolles School, San Jose Country Club, and San Jose Episcopal Church and Day School). The only surviving gatehouse has been something of a local icon for generations.

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Moderator

Reply to CarpeVinum | 70 comments

11 months ago

I do like those styles from the interwar period, and from what I’ve seen, Florida has almost as many good examples as California. I suppose there are attractive Florida neighborhoods built more recently, though I don’t recall seeing any in my visits there.

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Reply to JimH | 8411 comments

11 months ago

It does seem like the bulk of Florida went from the glamour of the late 20s—early 30s to ranches to 70s condos to McMansions. A chunk of that could be attributed to weather damage, but I think that it’s mostly due to a mid–to-late 29th century lack of appreciation for what came before,
As seen in LA’s Bunker Hill, rapidly developing areas don’t have a great track record of valuing prior architectural styles. When folks are ready to expand, it’s easiest to bulldoze and eradicate the past than to properly preserve and protect it.

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Reply to CarpeVinum | 70 comments

11 months ago

In a strange twist of fate, John Swisher’s son (the “& Son” from the company name) Carl’s nearby mansion is currently for sale!

1930 Carl S. Swisher’s Mediterranean Revival Mansion and estate
“Villa Alexandria”
$5.75m; 8,257 sf, 1.1–2.49 acres in Jacksonville, FL
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/2234-River-Rd_Jacksonville_FL_32207_M63309-79373

Built on the site of the original Villa Alexandria (described by Harriet Beecher Stowe and demolished c.1925). A portion of the original Villa Alexandria’s former bridle path and carriage lane now form Lillian S. Davin Park.

St. John’s Riverfront with high elevation on a bluff, pool, dock, creek
Winner of local preservation awards, some of the history is covered here.

The local historic crew is San Marco Preservation Society

From the listing:
””Villa Alexandria” known as The Carl S. Swisher Estate has been the home of current owner’s for more than 30 years. Exemplifying the Spanish Eclectic or Mediterranean Revival style as well as an Italian Villa, it is filled with original and timeless features. Original tile flooring and exposed cypress trusses, decking and vigas. Situated on a high bluff capturing gorgeous St Johns River views from almost every room. The windows are mostly original cypress with roll down copper screens. In 1999 the owner’s undertook a major renovation adding a large game room replicating the beams and cypress windows in other areas of home. The architects were recognized nationally and won an Historic Preservation award. The kitchen also completely renovated during this same period (See More Remarks offers custom cabinetry, breakfast bar, 2 built in refrigerators, separate freezer, gas stove, double ovens, walk in pantry + storage and room for large breakfast table. Enjoy relaxing in the Family Room/Library leading from kitchen & game room which also includes a fireplace. This room features a coffered ceiling & walls of built in shelving. Located off Formal Living Room is a Bar/Cigar Room featuring a custom designed bar w/carved lions (symbols of San Marco). Pottery sconces on the wall are original to the home. Step outside to the loggia on the coral floor also original to the home. Master Bedroom and 4 others are located on the 2nd floor. A guest suite and bath are conveniently located on first floor. Master Bedroom features 2 entrances, a fireplace and captivating views of St Johns River. The master bath was completely renovated offering a generously sized walk in closet with built ins. Leading from bath is an exercise room. A detached apartment including 7th bedroom & 5th bath is located over the garage. A beautiful courtyard, fountain and green house are visible from game room and covered walkway leading from garage… The outdoor terrace is the perfect place for entertaining or enjoying the beautiful sunsets. The pool is located on a lower terrace near the river. A walkway leading from Loggia to dock & river is original to the home… A rare opportunity to own a part of Jacksonville’s history and this premier home in the highly sought after San Marco neighborhood. Current owner will be downsizing to a new home built on a separate lot adjoining the property.”

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Reply to CarpeVinum | 70 comments

11 months ago

Carl’s son Herbert lived directly across the road in a 1936 Mediterranean Revival house built for him by his grandfather.

This house just sold in April 2022. It is a city landmark and was the target of preservation efforts, for which it was recognized by the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation in 1997.
Arnold Southwell, of Miami Beach, was architect.
Whatley Brown, developer.

Although heir to his grandfather’s fortune, Herbert is known for establishing one of the country’s first corporate day care centers for employees at Swisher.

Herbert, Carl, and John are buried in Oaklawn Cemetery, Jacksonville.

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celeste | 313 comments

Supporter

11 months ago

Stove alert, free on Craigslist!
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/zip/7543250543.html

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Supporter

Reply to celeste | 313 comments

11 months ago

Great post! I always have a soft spot for round windows in appliances and even architecture. I remember loving the washing machine on I love Lucy episode which had a round window on the top. It was an altered version of Horton / Launderall design. They clearly altered it for the show and renamed it “EPERNAY” but it was so cool to me.

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Supporter

Reply to MJG | 7072 comments

11 months ago

From the actual episode

And of course when it falls through the railing from the 3rd floor to smash below while they were fighting over it.

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Anne M. | 1524 comments

Supporter

11 months ago

1850 brick Greek Revival in Montpelier, VT $750,000 there is also an 1876 carriage house https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/140-Main-St-Montpelier-VT-05602/2070881359_zpid/
***
1859 carriage house in Burlington, VT $2,350,000, a beautiful building with a slate roof. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/189-Cliff-St-Burlington-VT-05401/12654150_zpid/
***
1850 Gothic Revival in Oxford, NY $299,900. Exterior is beautiful! https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/65-N-Canal-St-Oxford-NY-13830/29992524_zpid/

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Anne M. | 1524 comments

Supporter

11 months ago

1792 Cape in Warren, ME nice old stove, $325,000 https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/234-Western-Rd-Warren-ME-04864/84978513_zpid/
***
1870 Italianate in Elizabethtown, NY $485,000 with a large carriage house
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/234-Western-Rd-Warren-ME-04864/84978513_zpid/
***
1919 in Longmeadow, MA $460,000 https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/34-Woodlawn-Pl_Longmeadow_MA_01106_M41567-39844

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Kimberly62 | 4098 comments

Supporter

Reply to Anne M. | 1524 comments

11 months ago

Like the Longmeadow home. Nicely lived in and great details. Can you add the link to the Elizabethtown house?

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https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/8222-River-St-Elizabethtown-NY-12932/30420266_zpid/

Moderator

Reply to Anne M. | 1524 comments

11 months ago

Here’s the listing for Elizabethtown NY:

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Bart | 1 comments

11 months ago

221 S Bluff Street, Monticello Indiana 47960
List price: $799,900
Constructed: 1901
4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1oJATkHPU5RjFvP7P_srYA6iZkGPaq73_?usp=sharing

Beautiful Victorian waterfront home. A perfect blend of old meets new. Meticulously renovated and updated to offer the modern day updates you want. Maintaining the original, authentic craftsmanship of an architecturally significant home. This George Barber design home includes 10 ft ceilings, original woodwork, 3 sets of pocket doors, crystal chandelier, parquet floors, gas fireplace, built in china cabinets, and leaded glass window. In the kitchen you will find gorgeous Amish quarter sawn oak cabinets, 42 inch uppers, stainless steel appliances, and granite counter tops. The second stair case off of the kitchen. Also, included is the original restored ice chest. First floor has a beautiful open flow that is perfect for entertaining. The second floor has 4 large bedrooms. The primary bedroom features a make up area, Ensuite bathroom, clawfoot tub, custom cabinetry, and a walk in shower. Also, the second floor offers a 4 season sunroom with great tree top views and a private balcony. The second floor guest bathroom has been completely renovated. The amazing 3rd story includes a great room with original hardwood floors, book shelves, powder room, wet bar, cozy reading nook, and a turret featuring 22 ft high ceiling. The well manicured landscaped yard is fully fenced. Outdoor space at the house includes a brick paver patio and trex deck off of the kitchen. Garage is 24 foot x 34 foot, heated with a walk up second story. Huge dry basement with tiled floors, spacious laundry room, tons of storage, craft room, and a workshop or play room for the kids. New 200 amp service with 100% new electric, 80% of it in conduit. All new copper water pipes with manifold system. Newer boiler with all new copper piping and zone control. New 8 inch schedule 60 sewer line with anti back flow. New windows throughout. Original curved glass windows reglazed and hung. Upgraded Certain Teed siding exterior. All external wood surfaces taken down to the base condition, primed and 3 coats of paint. Fully alarmed with radio back up. Take the new staircase or fully refurbished funicular down to the waterfront. You will find 65ft of shoreline, seawall, 3 covered boat lifts, expansive composite deck with a boat house, cement stairs with railing into water for easy access for all. Also, a stainless steel fish cleaning table. A truly magnificent home will have you living your best lake life!

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Supporter

Reply to Bart | 1 comments

11 months ago

Link is missing from this post.
221 S Bluff St, Monticello, IN 47960 | MLS #202241865 | Zillow

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Kimberly62 | 4098 comments

Supporter

11 months ago

1925, Redding, CT, 3,500,000
28 acres Samuel Clemens home. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stormfield The house that he lived in burnt down after his death and a replica built on the same foundation. Lovely ceiling in the living room. The rest too modernized, but love the fact that Mark Twain lived here and loved it. I am a fan.
30 Mark Twain Ln, Redding, CT 06896 | MLS #170528649 | Zillow

No date given, Elmira, NY 285,000
MCM with a great roof line, windows, stone.
771 Larchmont Rd, Elmira, NY 14905 | MLS #268099 | Zillow

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roxxx | 978 comments

Supporter

Reply to Kimberly62 | 4098 comments

11 months ago

The Elmira home is great with a pool and acreage.. 11,100.00 in taxes for one year. Not near nyc or anything. Crazy

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Lancaster John | 1187 comments

Supporter

Reply to Kimberly62 | 4098 comments

11 months ago

Elmira: That’s a VERY unusual use of laminated beams to create that undulating effect. Neat home. I would happily choose it if I were in the Elmira market.

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https://www.indianalandmarks.org/for-sale/wilkins-house/

Supporter

Reply to Lancaster John | 1187 comments

11 months ago

Very cool beams indeed.

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Kelly, OHD | 15308 comments

Admin

Reply to Kimberly62 | 4098 comments

11 months ago

Wow! The Elmira home is awesome! I had to add that one before someone snatches it up!
https://www.oldhousedreams.com/2022/10/11/1960-contemporary-in-elmira-ny/
Thanks!

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Linda | 736 comments

Supporter

11 months ago

A Barber that needs saving………………$44,900140 Sycamore St, Campbellsburg, Indiana, 47108
3 beds ¦ 2 baths ¦ 2,063 Sqft

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Brian | 55 comments

11 months ago

1927
1998 sq ft
$499,000
223 Crosby Blvd
Amherst, NY 142226

An unspoiled showcase of the 1920’s! Lot’s of quality here.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/223-Crosby-Blvd-Amherst-NY-14226/30264195_zpid/?

It’s at the top of a hill in an upscale garden subdivision and surrounded by beautiful, lush, traditional gardens and landscaping.

Check out the original woodwork and many other original features, including the steel, casement windows.

The photos of the formal areas truly speak for themselves.

Pics 33, 34 show a beautiful, original bathroom. Thinking that’s the original one-piece “kidney bean” toilet as well as the pedestal sink

Kitchen appears to have a lot of it’s original features, but with some remodeling that is very respectful to the original general aesthetic.

What a neat, and very 1920’s breakfast nook!

Not quite sure what the architectural style is here, but I suspect it’s an eclectic mix that was often done in these upscale inter-war subdivisions. Betting some of you can identify the style.

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deray1999 | 1 comments

11 months ago

https://columbianortherndutchessmls.rapmls.com/scripts/mgrqispi.dll?APPNAME=Columbia&PRGNAME=MLSLogin&ARGUMENT=Bpd%2FijqrDRgzfLnx88ywDPseDKJrW8Hz3WkcNcRgu%2Fg%3D&KeyRid=1&SID=

Rare downtown opportunity- properties within the historic district seldom become available! Perched atop the main street in an idyllic village setting, this beautiful Victorian is zoned for mixed (commercial or residential) use. Move in and spread out over three floors loaded with architectural charm and detail including Mansard windows and wide plank Hemlock floorboards.

Or renovate the first floor for commercial use (bakery, retail shop, fitness studio, wine bar, restaurant) and convert 2nd and 3rd floors to apartments for a steady income stream. The downtown Coxsackie/riverfront area is evolving with many established businesses having successfully weathered the pandemic and continuing to flourish. State and local funding projects are adding myriad additional opportunities for growth and tourism. Join the community and inquire about eligibility for state and county grants and small business funding.

Only a stones-throw from the Hudson and Coxsackie Riverside Park featuring public docks, boat and kayak launch, weekly farmers market, live music and festivals. Adjacent to our lovely historic Heermance Library, shops, restaurants, cafes, boat club, with boutique hotel, bar and event center forthcoming. 2.5 hrs from NYC, 25 minutes to Hudson culture/ restaurants/ Amtrak. If you’re looking for an investment opportunity in an amazing location, this is the home for you!!

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https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/7-Ely-St-Coxsackie-NY-12051/30498177_zpid/

Moderator

Reply to deray1999 | 1 comments

11 months ago

TMI but no Location, Price, Style or Date!

Second Empire – Coxsackie NY – $325k

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