The Tonawanda News
August 27, 2007 12:47 pm
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An interesting frame Colonial Revival style house was built circa 1904, and sits on a foundation of Medina sandstone. The three-bay, side-gable design features a projecting center bay topped by a prominent front-facing gable. A bay window sits atop the full-width front porch, which is supported by new Tuscan columns. Entry is through a pair of doors, the inner one featuring an elliptical window and plate with a carved wreath on the lower panel.
In typical Colonial Revival fashion, the house is divided by a stair hall that runs front to back. Here an elegant staircase wends its way to the second floor through numerous turns; notice the fine carved details on the newels. The principal rooms on the first floor are separated by pocket doors, flanked by simple pilasters.
The parlor is to the right of the entrance, while the sitting room is to the left. The sitting room features the only fireplace in the home, its mantel supported by freestanding Ionic columns and decorated with sunbursts and wreaths. Next is the dining room, with a large built-in china cabinet. Look for the evidence on the cabinet of the long-vanished chair rail that once extended around the room. A leaded-glass rear door leads out to the original back porch, while the swing door to the pantry reveals some of the original cabinets.
This house, long the residence of educators, may have been built on speculation. By early 1905, it became home to Hiram Bacon and his wife, Mary, who actually bought the property. Hiram worked as a wood carver at the Herschell-Spillman Co., which manufactured merry-go-rounds, ocean waves, Ferris wheels and gasoline engines at its factory on Sweeney Street.
After Hiram’s death around 1912, the home continued to be occupied by his widow, as well as his daughter, Gertrude Bacon. An 1886 graduate of the Buffalo State Teachers College — then called the State Normal School — Gertrude remained connected with the faculty of that institution for 50 years, both as a teacher and a supervisor. She died of a heart attack in this home in 1937.
The home retained its academic affiliation, as the next occupants were Claude L. Moss, the superintendent of schools, and his wife, Carrie. Mr. Moss continued to live here into the 1960s, after which it was home to Ronald G. Moody, a teacher at the Spruce Street School, and his wife, Joan.
This home was a participating home in the 2007 Historic Treasures Tour. Architectural and historical description by Martin Wachadlo, Architectural Historian.
“Remembering Yesteryear” is produced under the auspices of the North Tonawanda History Museum. We invite individuals with stories or news of local history to e-mail nthistorymuseum@aol.com or call 213-0554.
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