Historic Home Tour: 37 Main Street
Clark E. Smith, a prominent businessman in Dundee purchased this lot and the house that stood on it from Alfred and Mary Bartholomew in 1852. In May of 1887, wanting a house befitting his public stature, Mr. Smith moved the small house that stood here for over 65 years to Harpending Avenue, where it still stands today. He then commissioned the work to begin on his Main Street Mansion.
Ground breaking for his "new and commodious residence" as he described in the Dundee Register, took place on June 1, 1887. The house was completed some time in 1888. This home is built in the Eastlake style, an artistic movement of the late 19th century encompassing architecture and furniture. It started as a reaction to the ornate and overly decorated Victorian era. The key aspects of the Eastlake style are the use of natural materials such as wood, stone, and brick. An emphasis on craftsmanship that included hand-carved details and intricate joinery are also hallmarks of the Eastlake style.
Clark E. Smith was born outside of Dundee on March 8, 1842, and he went to school in Dundee. Mr. Smith married Mary E. Headly, and they had one child, a son, William, who tragically died from a gunshot wound from a toy pistol. Clark Smith was a farmer until 1864, when he partnered with Chalion Headly, and they formed the firm of Smith and Headly, a very successful mercantile business. He was also civic-minded, serving as a town clerk for six years, town supervisor, and a member of the State Assembly from 1884-1886. He died on June 23, 1923.
Dr. Frederick F. and Della Maloney purchased the house in 1928. It was then that the slow dismantling of the home's Victorian charm began. Fancy trims, gold ceiling moldings, and tin ceilings were removed. Solid cherry cupboards and trim were removed from the kitchen and placed in the carriage house to be used as firewood. Dr. Maloney needed a modern, easy-to-care-for home in which he could run his practice, which he did for over forty years.
Upon the death of his widow in 1961, the house was left to her sister, Lucillle Millard. She had the tower room and steeple removed (due to its leaking). She also covered the house in asbestos siding (all the rage at the time). The slate roof and in-house gutters were removed in the '80s and a new roof installed.
Pamela Miller purchased the house in 1992 and work was begon on the deteriorating outside. The asbestos siding was removed to reveal the home's beautiful Victorian features. Porches were reconstructed from scratch, using old photos as guides. The custom, 13-color plus gold-leaf paint job brought it back to its original Victorian status. Interior restoration under Mrs. Miller's ownership also included replacement of tin ceilings in the kitchen, ceilings repaired, wallpaper and paint applied, decorative moldings repaired where possible, and all of the natural woodwork polished to its original sheen.
This home maintains all of its original Victorian clappers, ornamentation, and beautiful spool and spindle porches and balconies. It also contains delicate ornamentation on the verge board although it is missing its original tower room and steeple. The uniqueness of its Eastlake style is highly displayed.
This property also has its original carriage house that mimics the architectural features of the home and remains unchanged except for the overhead door that replaced the swinging barn doors in the 1970s.
Ground breaking for his "new and commodious residence" as he described in the Dundee Register, took place on June 1, 1887. The house was completed some time in 1888. This home is built in the Eastlake style, an artistic movement of the late 19th century encompassing architecture and furniture. It started as a reaction to the ornate and overly decorated Victorian era. The key aspects of the Eastlake style are the use of natural materials such as wood, stone, and brick. An emphasis on craftsmanship that included hand-carved details and intricate joinery are also hallmarks of the Eastlake style.
Clark E. Smith was born outside of Dundee on March 8, 1842, and he went to school in Dundee. Mr. Smith married Mary E. Headly, and they had one child, a son, William, who tragically died from a gunshot wound from a toy pistol. Clark Smith was a farmer until 1864, when he partnered with Chalion Headly, and they formed the firm of Smith and Headly, a very successful mercantile business. He was also civic-minded, serving as a town clerk for six years, town supervisor, and a member of the State Assembly from 1884-1886. He died on June 23, 1923.
Dr. Frederick F. and Della Maloney purchased the house in 1928. It was then that the slow dismantling of the home's Victorian charm began. Fancy trims, gold ceiling moldings, and tin ceilings were removed. Solid cherry cupboards and trim were removed from the kitchen and placed in the carriage house to be used as firewood. Dr. Maloney needed a modern, easy-to-care-for home in which he could run his practice, which he did for over forty years.
Upon the death of his widow in 1961, the house was left to her sister, Lucillle Millard. She had the tower room and steeple removed (due to its leaking). She also covered the house in asbestos siding (all the rage at the time). The slate roof and in-house gutters were removed in the '80s and a new roof installed.
Pamela Miller purchased the house in 1992 and work was begon on the deteriorating outside. The asbestos siding was removed to reveal the home's beautiful Victorian features. Porches were reconstructed from scratch, using old photos as guides. The custom, 13-color plus gold-leaf paint job brought it back to its original Victorian status. Interior restoration under Mrs. Miller's ownership also included replacement of tin ceilings in the kitchen, ceilings repaired, wallpaper and paint applied, decorative moldings repaired where possible, and all of the natural woodwork polished to its original sheen.
This home maintains all of its original Victorian clappers, ornamentation, and beautiful spool and spindle porches and balconies. It also contains delicate ornamentation on the verge board although it is missing its original tower room and steeple. The uniqueness of its Eastlake style is highly displayed.
This property also has its original carriage house that mimics the architectural features of the home and remains unchanged except for the overhead door that replaced the swinging barn doors in the 1970s.