Troy to host historical home tour
Tour will include seven homes
But at least one member of the Troy Historical Society felt like something was missing.
"I couldn't believe it," said Marilyn Sulc, treasurer for the organization. "Nothing was ever mentioned about all the old houses we have around town. They are an important part of Troy."That void was enough to prompt Sulc and members of the historical society to team with the Troy Genealogical Society and assemble the city's first Open House Tour, scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 14. The five-hour event will start at the Tri-Township Library and cover eight significant locations throughout the downtown area.
"We've never had an open house tour and Troy's a pretty old town," said Sulc. "If we can preserve these houses, we can help keep the city's history going for the younger people."
All of the sites on the tour have been officially recognized by the Troy Historical Society as local landmarks. Most were built in the late 1800s or early 1900s and were owned by prominent individuals that had an important role in the city's history.
The first stop on the list will be the William W. Jarvis House, located at 317 Center St., which was built in 1867 by the founder of the Troy Exchange Bank and the city's first lumber yard. The Jarvis family was a major contributor to the town's history. Settler John Jarvis, William's grandfather, made the first entry of land on what later became the city of Troy.
Quickly following will be a visit to the Carney House, 306 E. Market St., which is recognized for its unique Italian Villa architecture and for being the home of the former U.S. Senator Paul Simon's family for several years. The home was also designated as Troy's first official historic landmark.
Other homes on the tour include the Deimling House (216 E. Market St.), the Genevieve "Doll" Jarvis House (300 Clay St.), the Gaertener House (109 E. Clay St.) and the Kueker House (215 Powell St.).
The tour will conclude with looks at the Kueker Building (201 E. Market St.), which was formerly a hardware and home furnishings business and is currently occupied by the Times Tribune newspaper, and the Paul Simon Museum (116 W. Market St.), which contains lots of memorabilia from the politician's life.
Individual tours will start at the library any time between 1 and 6 p.m. and will cost $10 in advance or $12 at the door. Immediately following, groups can return to the library for refreshments and additional historical pictures from Troy.
For more information, contact Sulc at 667-8140 or Mae Grapperhaus at 667-6662.
