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Spencerport homes with history on the market
The Village of Spencerport holds many treasures, including three large homes that have historic significance to the village and the area. Coincidentally, all three homes are for sale. Each home has a tale to tell, a story to share and each story is as unique as each home’s architecture.
When Mike and Pat Walker bought 110 Coleman Avenue, their oldest son, Michael, was 10 years old. Michael did not want to move into the house. According to Pat, “Michael said, ‘I’m not going to live there. I will live at Grandma’s in her attic.’ ” If Michael could have seen into the future, he would have known his family would live in the house for over 33 years and they, together with extended family, friends and neighbors, would fill it with memories. Mike and Pat Walker purchased this four bedroom home in June 1973 from Gus Matheos who, according to Mike, “had either inherited or purchased the home from his father, Christos.” The elder Matheos built the home in 1941. The Matheos family ran an ice cream factory in the building at 401 South Union Street that currently is home to Bob’s Pool and Garden Center and The Paper Garden. “Christos spared no expense in building this house,” Mike Walker said. “All of the materials used in building this home were solid materials.” These top-of-the-line elements are still visible in the smooth plaster walls, leaded glass, hardwood floors and detailed decorative crown moldings. Light fills this almost 3,500 square foot house. It’s a big house on a quiet residential street of modest homes. Forty windows illuminate the interior with natural light. Mike Walker said the Matheos family wanted to have a clear visual access to the outside from any point in the home. The house is perched on a hill looking down on Coleman Avenue and was built on a double lot. “The Matheos family was very wealthy. They built this home during a time when wealthy families had a fear of their children being kidnapped, like the Lindbergh kidnapping. ” (Charles Lindbergh, Jr., 20-month-old son of the famous airplane pilot Charles Lindbergh and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, was kidnapped on March 1, 1932, from the Lindbergh home near Hopewell, New Jersey.) In the basement, a thick, rough cut 12 by 6 joist has the name Matheos written on. Construction featured the day’s innovations, according to Mike, “including conveniences such as an intercom system that had an extensive wiring system in the basement and a huge air conditioning unit that we think came from the ice cream factory.” The main floor of the home has an expansive living room with a sunroom, a large formal dining room, kitchen, breakfast nook, library, laundry room, powder room and a porch. The upstairs contains two full bathrooms and four large bedrooms, each has a large closet. High ceilings, nine-and- one-half feet downstairs and eight-and-one- half upstairs, add to the open feeling. Along the upstairs and downstairs hallways, small alcoves and niches in the walls hold family treasures. Pat said, “When we first came to see this house, there were Greek statues and sculptures in these alcoves.” While this home was structurally sound when they purchased it, the Walkers spent most of their time redecorating the home to fit their tastes. Mike added bookcases upstairs, carpet was removed, and walls were painted and or wallpapered. The breakfast nook was converted from an office back to a breakfast nook. Beams were added to the kitchen ceiling and the back porch was enclosed. It has been a house for plenty of activity. Mike and Pat Walker raised four children, Michael, Lyn, Lea and Matthew, in this home along with countless pets, hosted foreign exchange students, and a Fresh Air child, Darnell, who visited for 14 summers. Pat reminisced about a time when a foreign exchange student from France wanted to leave during a family dinner. “The fire sirens were going off and Sylvan got up out of his chair and said, ‘I go help. I go fight fire!’ We all had to convince him that the firemen would fight the fire,” she said. Pat, a retired secretary from the State University College at Brockport and Mike, a retired Chief Executive Officer of Seniorsfirst, which provides housing and health care to senior citizens, say they will miss their home of 33 years. But they both agree, “It’s time to downsize while we can,” said Mike. The property is listed for $299,900. For information regarding the sale of this home, contact Joyce Lobene at 352-8522.
Built in 1853, the Rose house measures almost 3,300 square feet and is a combination of three styles, Greek revival and Victorian and has a French mansard roof. Gary and Barbara Rose moved to 66 West Avenue in 1973 and spent the next 12 years restoring and renovating this one-of-a-kind house. In its 153-year history, this house has had only six owners. After their purchase, Barbara researched the history of the home and found the first owner was William Curtis, a local merchant who also may have owned the local lumber yard. Other owners include George Benton, whose daughter married George Beebee, the former president of Rochester Gas and Electric; Theodore and Elizabeth Childs and Chester and Marion Brower. The Roses purchased the home from Mrs. Brower. After their move, the Roses obtained photos from neighbors and found a postcard of the house at an antique show. Armed with these photos and a love of old homes, they set out on a journey to, “restore this house to a livable period home,” explained Gary. It was renovated one room at a time and as Gary explained, “The room was done or it wasn’t done. My workshop was set up in the family room and we used a piece of paneling to block off the room.” “A Supreme Court judge lived in the home at one time and had his chambers in the office in the front of the house and it has a separate entrance,” Gary explained as he opened the front door. The original entrance also had a wrought iron porch. The Roses worked with Carl Schmidt, a local architect, to design a new entranceway adding columns in keeping with the Greek revival design of the home. With the exception of this help, Gary and Barbara completed all of the restoration work themselves. Their handiwork and passion for their home is evident in the refinished floors and woodwork, painting, stenciling and wallpapering. The massive house anchors the corner of two streets in the oldest section of the village. Living space downstairs flows from one room to the next, kitchen, family room, dining room, parlor and office. Polished hardwood floors, some original and some added, often using materials “rescued” from other old buildings, show off the quality of construction materials. The upstairs boasts four bedrooms, a laundry room, two bathrooms and a small lounge. Each room, upstairs and downstairs, is filled with antiques that the Roses have collected. A walnut sideboard in the dining room came from the estate of prominent Rochesterian Hiram Sibley. Gary reflected on their family’s time in this home: “This is a great place to raise a family. The home lends itself to having people here. We always were hosting company.” Both their children, daughter Allison and son Aaron, grew up in this house. “We were blessed as parents; although Aaron said the Golden Rule was ‘Don’t touch the antiques.’ We never had to worry about our kids. We used everything in our home and still do,” he said. Holidays were and still are special times for this family in their historic home. “Christmas dinner is always here and we also have a Christmas breakfast for friends who do not have any (nearby) family,” Gary added. Gary is now retired; he was an earth science teacher for 33 years, most of his career was spent teaching at Churchville-Chili Central Schools. Barbara is a math professor at Roberts Wesleyan College and is the chair for the math and science departments. Like the Walkers, they too will miss their home; however, “We’re looking to move to a one story home with lower maintenance. We want to be proactive while we can and move on to another segment of our lives,” Gary said. The price of this home is $299,900. For information contact Elaine and Paul Crowell at 719-3526. Elaine Crowell was the realtor who sold this home to the Roses 33 years ago. Barbara Rose was not available for an interview for this article. She was out of the country on a mission to Romania with a group of students from Roberts Wesleyan College.
Maxine and Donald Davison came to Spencerport in 1942, and, over time, grew the business of Ogden Telephone Company. They settled into the community and purchased a home at 15 Evergreen Street. The location on the banks of the Erie Canal was a quiet and gracious setting. While their business prospered, so did their passion for their community, characteristics and values they both continued throughout their lives. The Davisons’ legacy is exemplified through their philanthropic endeavors including their gifts to Roberts Wesleyan College. The gallery in the RWC Cultural Arts Center and a dormitory at RWC bears the Davison name. Their generosity extended to other academic institutions in the form of endowed scholarships and in their support of civic projects. After Donald Davison died in 1978, Maxine continued to direct their company, taking over the reins as president. A shrewd business woman, she continued to grow Ogden Telephone Company until she sold the company in 1997 to Citizens Communications, which eventually became part of Frontier. Maxine lived in her home at 15 Evergreen Street until her death in 2004. Her home and other area property she owned was auctioned in 2005. Dan Hogan of Crane-Hogan Structural Systems, Inc. and Chris Schrank, former Ogden Chief of Police, purchased the parcels in the Evergreen Street area with plans to develop a housing development. Construction of this track of homes begins this month. The Davison home, however, will remain intact and is for sale. This almost 2,600 square foot Colonial style farmhouse was built in 1863. The downstairs contains a front foyer, living and dining rooms, a study, a kitchen, a full bath and a laundry room. Wood burning fireplaces can be found in the living room and study. The upstairs has four bedrooms and a full bath. Hardwood floors and carpeting are throughout the home. This home is listed for $339,900. A large barn adjacent to the home and waterfront frontage is also available but not included in the sale price of this parcel. For information contact Realtor Bob Muesebeck at 494-1880. Note: Further details about the Davison house and its history were not available. June 18, 2006 |
