Paul,

 

Three other small editorial points:

 

·       Charlton Heights is spelt correctly on page “Number 8, page 1” but on the next page it is incorrect (written as “Charleton”).

 

·       Reference # 8 (following, “…where the family lived by 1900⁸.”) is given as the county land record for Kleiner’s purchase of the land in 1913, rather than as a reference that would locate his residency in 1900, which the US census does.  Would reference # 8 be better as:

“1900 U.S. Federal Census, Vansville, Prince George's, Maryland, Roll T623-626, Page 7B, Enumeration District 90 (research compiled by Ann Harris Davidson).”?

 

·       Did you find a reference to Stickley’s No. 58539 in his book that you reference at # 14?  (I have Stickley’s “Craftsman Bungalows” and “More Craftsman Homes” books, but I do not have a copy of his “Craftsman Homes” book that you referenced, so I presume, from your reference, that it is in that book.  I am certain that 58539 was the number that Joe Chlopicki referenced when he first called my attention to the Argyle being like a Gustav Stickley design but I have not found that particular design on the web ~ as Joe appeared to have done.)

 

I’ll call later in the day.

 

With thanks,

Ann

 

 

Paul,

 

Thank you very much.

 

I notice that, while the 1927 date appears (correctly, I believe) in the early pages, 1926 appears in other places, e.g., on page “Number 8, Page 2” ~ “The design chosen by Kleiner Jr. was the “Argyle,” a

Craftsman-style bungalow offered by Sears between 1915 and 1926.”; and on page “Number 8, page 3” ~ “The Argyle was a popular design for Sears in the years between 1915 and 1926, selling in 1918 for $1,479.”  Though Rosemary Thornton made the latter statement in her book, Ray Bellamy Jr. of Cheverly is a local Sears “expert” who lives in a Sears’ Alhambra that his father built, helped Marina King to do the survey of Sears homes in Prince George’s County twenty years ago, and has a collection of Sears catalogues.  Last year (while writing my book), he loaned me his copy of the 1927 Sears, Roebuck and Company catalogue.  The Argyle is in the 1927 catalogue and the design of the notched, large, flat fascia boards (if that’s the correct technical name for the decorative boards on the gables) on my house matches the 1927 photo (which isn’t the case in the earlier editions ~ as seen in photographs 1 and 2 in the report).  So, below this paragraph, I’ll insert copies of the cover of Bellamy’s 1927 catalogue and of the page (p.106) from that catalogue that describes the Argyle.  You’ll see that the Sears’ Argyle appears to have had # P17018A in 1927 and by that time its base price was listed (“Already Cut and Fitted”) at $2,151, (not $1,479, as was Thornton’s 1918 reference).   By a separate e-mail, I can send EHT Traceries (but not Howard at M-NCPPC) the same 1927 image and house description as an 8MB .tif image.

 

 

 

Other notes:

 

On page “Number 8, Page 5”, the name of the Morrow son is “Gerard” (with an “r”, not “Gerald, with an “l”).

 

The heading “INTEGRITY” is on page “Number 7, Page 3”, while the paragraph about the home’s integrity is on its own without the heading on page “Number 7, Page 4”.

 

The report states, “Long-time residents of Berwyn Heights report that upon his wife’s relocation to Michigan, where she died in 1936, Kleiner…”   I’m not sure where Eliza B. Kleiner was living when she died, nor for how long she was in Michigan, but I do know (from having researched her will in the Maryland Hall of Records in Annapolis) that she wrote that last will and testament on May 31, 1935 on the stationery of the Dearborn Hotel of Dearborn, Michigan, presumably while staying at that hotel.  On reviewing the very poor quality copy of Eliza’s will (that was made from microfiche, before the documents were scanned electronically), it is difficult even to be certain whether she died on September 17, 1935 or September 17, 1936.  Even the probate date is not clear. (October 15, 1935, or October 15, 1936?)  My guess would be October 15, 1935, because that is the date this is visible on the subsequent probated will. 

 

In addition to Edna Waters (now aged 98), Ruth Sauer Ellsworth (now aged about 85) has told similar stories about Kleiner.  In 2005, Ruth published a book, “Ruatan Street”, Crimson Atelier, Inc. New Hope, PA, in which she mentioned John J. Kleiner Jr.’s live-in, red-haired “housekeeper” who “grieved when he died” (in 1939).  But, as there is uncertainty about Eliza Kleiner’s residency between 1930 and 1935, and as these are only oral histories, perhaps it would be better to change the last paragraph on “Number 8, page 3” to:

“No members of the Kleiner family resided in the house at 8529 58th Avenue; rather, oral history recounts that John J. Kleiner Jr. had the house constructed for a “paramour”¹⁷ who did not live at 8529 58^th Avenue for long because by the 1930 U.S. Federal Census William N. and Ida M. Mercer were living in the house¹⁸.  The Mercers were also active, well-known and long-time members of the Berwyn Heights community.  In 1915, William Mercer was one of the founding members of the Berwyn Heights Association and the Secretary of the Berwyn Heights Volunteer Fire Department for many years¹⁹…”

¹⁷  Edna Waters to Ann Harris Davidson

¹⁸  1930 U.S. Federal Census, Berwyn Heights, Prince George’s, Maryland, Roll 878, Page 1B, Enumeration District 55, Image 476.0, with the Mercers listed on “Huntley Avenue” (currently 58^th Avenue), next to Donald J. & Ellen Q. McDonald [sic] who owned and lived in the house next door (currently 8527 58^th Avenue)

¹⁹  Donald Skarda, “Berwyn Heights: History of a Small Maryland Town.” (Research compiled by Ann Harris Davidson).

Note the change to reference 19.

 

As a side note, it pleases me that Stephen, Imogen (our daughter) and I have now lived in the home for more than 19 years, and are thus the owners who have lived in the house the longest.  (Depending on when in 1927 the house was built, we may even have owned the house for longer than the two generations of the Kleiners did.) 

 

Finally, it may not be relevant but I’ll mention it just in case: in the discussion of the changes to the front porch (under “DWELLING” on page “Number 7, page 1”), I now remember that Jeanne Jennings told me that, apart from the deterioration of the porch, they had to make changes to the original porch because its design did not meet modern housing codes.  As can be seen in Sears’ original designs for the Argyle, the railings had only two horizontal bars with space between them (large enough to let an infant slip through and fall off the porch), while the drop from the porch to the ground is more than four feet (and their oldest daughter was born while they were living in the house).  The “picket” railings and the “picket” hand-rail down the south side of the front steps (though not in keeping with the original design and construction) were required in order to meet modern housing safety codes.

 

Best,

Ann