[ad_1]
MILFORD – There are perks to living in a house built by a hardware enthusiast.
This is something Tina Franke learned firsthand during the seven years she lived at 27 Green St. in Milford. The house was built in the early 1900s by Alfred E. Gould, the “Gould” of the Harrison and Gould hardware store.
The store, which opened in 1907, was located on Broad Street not far from Gould’s house. And Franke said Gould’s passion for hardware, good construction, and interesting design is evident in the way he built his home.
Take, for example, the ever-working fireplace in the living room of the house. This is not the standard red brick structure found in most homes. Instead, it’s a white brick, speckled with dark spots. It’s known as the Ironspot Brick, and Franke said it was a somewhat unusual material at the time.
“They would bring it on Ohio railroad cars,” she said, patting the fireplace.
Other classic touches include the oak columns framing many of the doors, the square post at the foot of the stairs, and the handles on the windows and fitted wardrobes.
“It has retained much of its original architectural detail,” said Franke, who is both the owner and the listing agent for the property.
She and her husband are looking to downsize, so they sell the 2,938 square foot home, which is listed at $ 579,900.
The house and the hardware store to which it is attached have a history stretching back over 100 years.
Harrison and Gould, which ultimately became just Harrison’s, have been a staple in downtown Milford for years. In 2013, the site of the old hardware store became a Colony Grill pizzeria.
Franke said it was typical at the time for business owners to live near their business. Although city records indicate that the house was built in 1900, Franke said that by researching deeds and other documents, she learned that its construction date was likely closer to 1915.
Anyway, the house is at least a century old and was built in the classic four-square style, in which the house is usually in the shape of a square with a pyramid-shaped roof and a large porch. Franke said houses in this style typically have four rooms on each floor.
“Each one is a corner room, which was very important at the time because (the owners) needed it for ventilation,” she said.
The porch was also needed to help homeowners stay cool during the summer months, Franke said. Of course, today the large covered porch is mainly used for people watching and relaxing.
The home has two and a half bathrooms, a modern kitchen with granite counters and lots of storage. One of its interesting touches is a back staircase, which Franke says might have been used by the servants of the house in the past. She said her family didn’t use it much – at least, not anymore.
“The kids thought it was really cool when we first moved in here,” she said. “They used to go up and down it.”
Selling 27 Green St. is bittersweet for Franke, who loves the house and its classic character.
“I have a weakness for old houses,” she says.
Do you know of a house or building with an interesting history? Contact [email protected], and the house could be featured in an upcoming episode of Habitat.
[ad_2]
Source link
