426 S. LIBERTY STREET

HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE

426 S. Liberty Street was built in 1890 for Farwell and Sarah Wright at a cost of $2,300. Farwell was a carpenter and likely built this home as an investment property as he quickly sold it to Charles M. VanBuren for $3,600 in 1891. Charles was a farmer and lived in this home until he sold the property in 1910 to William E. and Ida Elliot. Since then, the home has had a long list of owners. One unique owner was Edward Wellnitz who purchased the property in 1950. Mr. Wellnitz owned "Eddie's Old Fashioned Horehound Drops." This was a type of soothing candy that Wellnitz supposedly made in the home's basement.  

ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

426 S. Liberty Street is a nice example of the Gable-Ell style, with its full two-story structure with a front facing gable with a side-gable intersection. While modest, 426 S. Liberty does exhibit some architectural details in the ornate window hoods as well as the bay window on the first floor. It is considered contributing to the historic nature of its neighborhood.

TIMELINE OF PREVIOUS OWNERS

 

Sources: 1987 Heritage Plaque Application; Audio: TextAloud