"The
original owner was Nathaniel Graves, M.D. There are ten
rooms and storage room, six rooms down and four upstairs.
The house has all double brick walls, thus making it cool
and comfortable in the summer. At the turn of the century
there was a Victorian-type porch across the entire front of
the house. This was allowed to fall into disrepair.
When the present owners, Mr.
and Mrs. Dewey Wittkop purchased it in January, 1946, they
had a challenge. Over the years they have tried to keep the
house as it originally was. The upstairs dormers are most
attractive; the curved lintels up above the windows are an
architectural feature found only in Monroe County. The date
plate, July 1875, is embedded in the main gable. There are
several brick homes on this section of the street that are
of the same age."
Veyirl
and Dewey were very nice people. Veyirl and my
mother, were always close and enjoyed each other's
company. Although the recent picture above does not
reflect conditions in the 1950s when I visited,
Dewey was known for his gardening. Perhaps that is
where I got my interest in landscape plants that led
to a career as a horticulturist.
