Published: November 12, 2007 01:38 pm            

REMEMBERING YESTERYEAR: Queen Ann-style house was home to the Rand family

The interior of the home at 257 Goundry Street has changed slightly, but still has characteristics of a Queen Ann Style home. The entrance remains the same but the entrance stair has been changed to accommodate another door that was probably installed for heating efficiency. The current staircase replaced a stairway that turned around at the current landing to lead to the entrance room, allowing the entry into this room to be similar to its original fashion. Immediately in front of you as you enter is the dining room and to the right is the parlor – which was most likely two different parlors at one time. The likelihood of this separation is indicated by the interruption of the room by the top portion of what was probably the original division wall. In addition, the removal of this wall left an imprint where one can see that the wood flooring had to be repaired.

Off the dining room was a butlers’ pantry, which was converted into a full bath. The original door that separated the dining room from the pantry still separates the two existing spaces. To access the servant spaces of the home, a hallway extends from the entrance hall into spaces that become confined, with lower ceilings. The kitchen is behind the current bathroom - the former butlers’ pantry. It is a working kitchen that appears as if it was added because it has a higher ceiling, although older pictures of the home show the kitchen as it exists today. This might lead one to believe that this was original or an early addition to the home. To the left of the hall is a room that currently serves as an office, but was originally a library. Behind this room is the summer kitchen addition, an L-shaped room that appears to be a purely functional space with little ornament.

On the second floor the integrity of the house becomes more muddled. On the outside of the house, right above the entrance is a beautiful leaded glass window. This window could originally be seen from the inside in the stairway in a two-story height space. The window has been covered up to make room for a bathroom. The character of the stairway is compromised because there is no longer a double-height space, and instead a simple stair leads to the second floor. The location of the window is a mechanical room that once contained a hot water tank that serviced the bathroom. The window is still visible when the door to the mechanical space is opened. It is a shame that such a beautiful window is not visible in the stair well anymore, but fortunately, whoever decided to conceal the window did not remove it completely.

The second floor gives access to the sleeping porch where Mr. Rand used to enjoy his summer slumber. This is still kept as a porch in the summer months, but a portion of it has been converted to a sewing room for the current owner. The original location of the bathroom on the second floor is now home to a study for the daughter of the current owner. The third floor of the home contains a typical attic space and it is said that the space has secret passages and spaces throughout.

Continuing his father’s love of gardening, Benjamin Long Rands’s home was known for its lavish gardens and flowers. Peonies were plentiful in the backyard and the current owner has worked hard to bring the backyard back to its former glory when plantings were abundant. The current owner recalled the first day she started gardening and discovered the location of the original peony beds. That night, while they were sleeping, a victrola they had on the sleeping porch, Benjamin’s favorite spot, began playing all by itself. After gardening a few more days and having the victrola play during the night by itself, the owner took an unrelated visit to the Tonawanda Historical Society. On this visit, she read about the lavish gardens, discovered Benjamin was an avid gardener and took the victrola playing as a sign of Benjamin’s approval.

Initially, it seems as if the house was converted into a two family home at one time. This is evidenced by the fact that the original stair was tampered with, as well as the conversion of the butlers’ pantry into a full bath. The current owners do not seem to agree with this statement and there are a few clues that may support their position, one being the lack of a kitchen on the second floor or any space that would suggest a remnant of a kitchen.

Benjamin Long Rand’s second home next door at 261 Goundry Street is also a Queen Anne style home with many exterior features left intact. The use of different materials signifies a Queen Anne style exterior; in this case the first story is flanked with clapboards and the second story clad with shingles. The polygonal tower rises from the ground at the corner of the house, which is most common in Queen Anne style houses. And, unlike the home at 257 Goundry Street, the porch on the former Stanley home remains, though it has been altered slightly.

This home was a participating home in the 2007 Historic Treasures Tour. The architectural description was created by Paul Murawski and Kathryn Incarnato, University at Buffalo School of Architecture & Planning

“Remembering Yesteryear” is produced under the auspices of the North Tonawanda History Museum. We invite individuals with stories or news of local history to tell to e-mail nthistorymuseum@aol.com or call 213-0554.

        

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