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Building Winchester in 1896

While perusing local news items in the July 16, 1896 Daily Item, several notes on construction projects and locations in Winchester jumped out. Let's see if we can track down where these building may be, and if they are still in existence.

Miss Marie Wood, daughter of Col. Robt. C. Wood, of New Orleans, is the guest of her aunt, Mrs. B. T. Dandridge on Braddock street. 

This was a well-known house that no longer stands. Mrs. B. T. Dandridge is Betty Taylor Dandridge, who acted as First Lady when her mother declined the role. The house, located at 116 N. Braddock St., was demolished in 1934, but several images of it are available at the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives.

Mr. J. S. Haldeman, of the creamery on Kent street, received yesterday 5000 pounds of milk and manufactured 387 pounds of butter. 

One of Haldeman's buildings still stands at 21-25 South Kent St. (another building in the complex was demolished to provide parking). Although much altered by later uses, the building has been repurposed and rehabilitated around 2019, and is now owned by the City of Winchester. According to some online sources, it takes about 21.2 pounds of whole milk to create one pound of butter, so Haldeman's creamery was producing more butter than expected for that amount of milk. Were the cows here particularly well-fed? 

Ad for the Creamery, Winchester Times, Oct. 25, 1899

Mr. Jno. F. Kremer has finished the foundation for his new residence, corner, Cork and Stewart streets, and will begin the wood work shortly.

This house was demolished for a parking lot at the old Winchester Memorial Hospital site. The census record from 1900 lists his house as 120 (South) Stewart Street. While a building once again has that address, the house Kremer (or possibly Kreamer) built is long gone.

Mr. Harry Newkirk, of Hagerstown, is visiting Mr. E. M. Houston on W. Clifford street. 

According to the census record for 1900, an Edmund M. Houston lived at 123 East Clifford Street. Originally hailing from New York, it seems Mr. Houston took up harness making in an area of town well-known for its concentration of craftsmen, especially wagon-makers. The houses to either side of this are both confirmed as the homes of wagon-makers (Philip Hansucker and Philip Scherer). The building still stands today.

Mr. Jno. W. March is erecting a residence on Gerard street. He expects to have it completed by the first of September.

This note is less clear (we will assume they mean Gerrard Street for the purpose of this investigation). There are a handful of houses left on that block that could be our candidate - namely 18, 16, and 12 West Gerrard St. A few more clues await us in the December 15 edition, describing the house:

Among the many handsome dwelling houses that have been erected in this city this year, none surpasses in architectural beauty and modern improvements the pretty and commodious frame dwelling recently completed on Gerrard street, between Main and Braddock, for. . .the late William. E. March’s family. Of the cottage style, with a porch and portico on the east side and the same at the front entrance, and painted as white as the driven snow, it stands as a beautiful monument to the pluck and industry of a devoted and affection[ate] son and brother. The noble impulses of John W. March, the first son of a large family, and the founder of this beautiful building, at a cost of some two thousand dollars, including the large lot, is worthy of more than a passing notice.

Based on this description of the family, a census for 1870 provides additional family names - mother Martha; sisters Ella, Ann, and Lucy; and brothers Robert and Gera (?). 

Following up with the 1900 census, we find Martha E. March living at 12 West Gerrard Street. Unsurprisingly, it is still the nicest historic home on that block. The "cottage style" house is more properly termed a late Queen Anne style. The home is currently in operation as Twice as Nice - stop in and see them Monday-Saturday.

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