28 N. GIFFORD STREET

HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE

28 N. Gifford Street was built in 1885 for Catherine Guilford who seized an opportunity to meet housing needs and personal financial needs by taking in boarders due to the expansion of the watch factory. Catherine lived at 24 N. Gifford, directly south of 28 N. Gifford, with her five children. Four of her children worked at the watch factory. 

In 1888, Catherine sold the home to Carl Deutschmann, though, 24 N. Gifford remained with the Guilford family until 1910. Unfortunately, 28 N. Gifford was foreclosed upon in 1899 and then sold to Myrtie Austin. The home saw several homeowners throughout the years and was then bought by the Gifford Park Association in the late 1980s. The association rehabbed the interior of the home and restored the exterior to its original glory.

ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

28 N. Gifford is a front gabled house that sits on a  narrow city lot that is about 33 feet wide. The home has simplistic details including its decorative brackets and turned columns found at the porch. The simplicity and position on a narrow lot suggests a a Greek Revival style, common in the United States at that time. 

TIMELINE OF PREVIOUS OWNERS

 

Sources: 1996 Heritage Plaque Application; Audio: TextAloud