Saturday, October 17, 2015

A little more history uncovered

In doing a quick search of the internet based on names written on the back of the 1905 post card of the house at 215 North Main I found that, in 1900, Benn B. Perkins and his wife Marian B. Perkins lived here in the house and had for neighbors Frank and Jennie Fonda and just down the road William H. Ellis and his family (including his daughter, Ruth Ellis who would later own the house with her husband John Cushing in 1914.  Although there are no addresses written on the census for St. Albans in 1910 I DO know that the Fondas owned and lived in the house next door, a giant witch-hatted Victorian that is now home to 13 different apartments.  1900, so far, is the earliest known date that I have found.  Granted, the amazing ivy growth on the front porch in the 1905 photo attests to the fact that the house was here for a bit longer than that, I don't know anything about ivy growth, as far as I know that could just be 4 years worth right there.  Anyway, onward and upward!