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| No: 906-1 | Street: Stanton | Name: |
| Family: Diamond D. Investments | OwnerInfo: Y |
| Built: 1915-20? & 1961 | Sec: 28 | Sub: Thomas R. Biggs Gravelotte | Lot: Pars 2&3, pt BL 13 |
| Architect: Ed Ritchie | Cont/Build: |
| #Owners: 2 | Orig Use: Residential | Current Use: Residential |
| STYLE | Ranch: | Split: Y | Colonial: | Victorian: | Trans: | Trad: | Other: |
| CapeC: | Bung: | Eng: | Dutch: | Cont: | Misc: | ||
| CATALOGUE | Sears: | Gunn: | Pease: | BH&G: | Pattern: | OtherC: |
| MATERIAL | Siding: | Brick: | Stone: | Stucco: | Br&Sid: Y | OtherM:aluminum |
| ROOF: gable | Stories: Tri-level | |||||
| CHANGES | AsBuilt: | AddTo: Y | SubFrom: | Replace: |
| 1961 - Ed Ritchie drew plans to add the present living area for a total of 1798 sq. ft. 1973 - Ed Ritchie put on aluminum siding. Torn down and new built - 906-2 | ||||
| CurrOwner: Diamond D. Investments, Inc. | Date Frc: 1998 | DateToc: |
| OrigOwner: Unknown | Date Frc: 1915 - 1920? | DateTo: 1923 |
| Owner1: Bertha & H. Kessler Smith | Date Fr 1: 1923 | DateTo 1: 1960 |
| Owner2: Edward C. (& Inge) Ritchie | Date Fr 2: 1960 | DateTo 2: 1998 |
| Owner3: | Date Fr 3: | DateTo 3: |
| Owner4: | Date Fr 4: | DateTo 4: |
| Owner5: | Date Fr 5: | DateTo 5: |
| Owner6: | Date Fr 6: | DateTo 6: |
| Owner7: | Date Fr 7: | DateTo 7: |
| Owner8: | Date Fr 8: | DateTo 8: |
| Owner9: | Date Fr 9: | DateTo 9: |
| Owner10: | Date Fr 10: | DateTo 10: |
| Owner11: | Date Fr 11: | DateTo 11: |
| 1975 Owner: | Edward C. & Inga N. Ritchie. Pt 13 Gravelotte Biggs Sub Pars 2-3 Cons |
| Description: | Originally a small frame farmhouse with 2 bedrooms, living room, kitchen, bath and partial basement. After the Ritchie's addition it had a living room, dining room, kitchen/ dinette, 3 bedrooms, den/bedroom, 2 1/2 baths, 2 car integral garage, laundry and family room. Realtor's information in 1998 mentions a porch. When the Tollefsen's (812 Floral) looked at it to buy in 1958, the only entrance to the basement (or cellar?) was a trap door with stairs. |
| Story1: | Information from Edward C. Ritchie, February 15, 1996. "The former owners date back to when a large tract was owned by Leonora Robinson of the Robinson Circus family. Some time before the Smith's interest in any of the parcel the Robinson Circus occupied the acreage as winter quarters for the Circus animals and equipment. Mrs. Smith explained there were several large barns between our site and Elm Street along the South side of a dirt lane which is now Stanton Avenue. Mrs. Smith explained the circus blacksmith shed sat at the end of our driveway which we can well believe as we have frequently dug up horse shoes, metal rings and various stakes, chains, etc. A large parcel was conveyed to Kessler Smith in March of 1923 by Leonora Robinson to whom Bertha Smith reported she was related (by marriage). [Kessler Smith was Mrs. Leonora S. Robinson's brother. His sister married John G. Robinson - 1 Circus Place.] Mrs. Smith also felt that the famous elephant Tillie is buried somewhere between our property and the railroad, this land now shared with us by Roger and Dinah Winters and Al and Karen Roberts. Mrs. Smith (widow of Kessler Smith) from whom we purchased the property said a small farm house existed on the site but she had no knowledge of when it was built but thought it was between 1915 and 1920." |
| "The small frame farm house we purchased September 1960 contained two bedrooms, living room, kitchen, bath and partial basement. The first floor living area was 832 square feet. Having a basic architectural education I drew new plans adding a brick veneer living area of 966 square feet for a current total of 1798 square feet. Our reconstruction was started in 1961 and our home contains living room, dining room, kitchen /dinette, 3 bedrooms, den/bedroom, and 2 1/2 baths. Two car integral garage, laundry and family room are in the lower level." | |
| (Leonora Smith was Kessler Smith's sister. She married John G. Robinson III, the last operator of the Robinson Circus.) |
| Story 2: | From the deed of sale. When the Ritchie's purchased this property in 1960 it was "the last remaining parcel of land owned by H. Kessler Smith at the time of his death out of the larger tract conveyed to him in March, 1923". |
| Mr. Ritchie includes with his return of our survey the information in stories 1 and 2 as well as a plan of the house after their addition, pictures (before, during and after) and a map of the location of the property. | |
| Story 3: | Inge Ritchie - president TP Garden Club 1968-70 |
| 1939 Map: | Smith |
| 1942 Map: | Smith |
| 1951/3 Map: | Kessler Smith |
| 1959 Directory: | Mrs. Kessler (Bertha) Smith |
| 1960 Directory: | '' (Bertha L. Smith died in 1978, aged 100 or 101) |
| 1962-63 Direct: | Edward & Inga Ritchie |
| 1963-64 Direct: | '' |
| 1965-66 Direct: | '' |
| 1967-68 Direct: | '' |
| 1969-70 Direct: | '' |
| 1971-72 Direct: | '' |
| 1973-74 Direct: | '' |
| 1975-76 Direct: | '' |
| 1978 Directory: | '' |
| 1980 Directory: | " |
| 1982 Directory: | " |
| 1984 Directory: | '' |
| 1986 Directory: | '' |
| 1988 Directory: | '' |
| 1990-91 Direct: | '' |
| 1992-93 Direct: | '' |
| 1994-95 Direct: | '' |
| 1996-97 Direct: | '' (Inga died 1996 & he moved) (Ed died September 2003) |
| 1998-99 Direct: | ---- (Sold 1998) |
| 2000-01 Direct: | ---- |