Purchase Price: $414,900
9 bed · 6 bath · 8,000 sqft
Elegance of a bygone era! This is the perfect blend of historic home with stunning architectural details (gorgeous stained glass windows, beveled leaded windows, the grand staircase, pocket doors, 8 fireplaces, original hardwood & wainscoting, many original light and bathroom fixtures), but updated beautifully with all of the modern conveniences make it move in ready! The 6,000 sq. ft. main house consists of 7 bedrooms, 4 baths, 2 kitchens, 2 parlors, formal dining, grand hall & so much more! This property also contains a 2 story, 1,800 sq ft carriage house (remodeled in 2016). The main kitchen has gas stove-top, double convection ovens, a prep area with a sink, wine fridge. Each floor has its own furnace and central air. The home has updated wiring and plumbing, significant upgrades include new insulation, repointing of the brick, and custom interior storm windows.
Contact: The Wyeth Stover Team at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Stein & Summers
Call: (816) 387-6899
House History & Gallery
In 1888, Guerdon G. Parry Sr., the President of the Turner-Frazer Mercantile Co. visited the offices of the architect Edmond J. Eckel. Parry wanted Eckel to design a house that would stand as the symbol of his great success in the boom town of St. Joseph. Parry had secured a spacious lot along Faraon Street on the edge of downtown, in an area of the city where many other successful businessmen were building their impressive homes. When the red brick house that Eckel built was complete, the Parry family had a home that was a real showstopper.
The Parrys were active in the social life of the wealthy families in St. Joseph. Guerdon’s wife, Mary Eliza, frequently attended parties given by the Tootles, the Wyeths, and other leading families. Even their children were frequently featured in the social columns. On August 19, 1900 the St. Joseph Gazette Herald reported: “Miss Louise Parry, 2101 Faraon Street, entertained at a watermelon party on Tuesday evening. Refreshments were served on the broad veranda and the lawn.” In 1907, the house was the scene for an even more impressive event featuring Louise, her marriage to Edward McGonigle. The ceremony was held at the house which was richly decorated.
The Parrys remained in their lovely home until about 1912, when they moved to Detroit. For a short time, William R. Thomas, the president of the Columbian Electric Company lived there. But by 1916, the property was purchased by Samuel I. Motter. The Motter family retained ownership of the house until 1958 leaving an indelible mark on the property.
The Motters: Samuel Isaac, his wife Susan Jane Brittain, and their daughters Susan and Mary lived a lifestyle that is difficult for us to understand today. Samuel was a very successful attorney who had family money from his father’s success with the Wheeler & Motter Mercantile Co., and his wife Susan was part of the Brittain family who made a fortune in the dry goods business. Samuel was born in St. Joseph, and attended Yale University and the University of Michigan Law School. Samuel was a civic-minded man and he served on the school board, the library board, and in the state legislature. He died young, in 1932, of heart disease, but left his family well cared for.
Samuel’s widow and daughters remained in the impressive home. Family money and what Samuel had earned and left allowed the family to live a very cosmopolitan life. They, like many other wealthy families in St. Joe, had a cottage on Mackinac Island where they spent much of their summers. Their daughters Susan (b. 1914) and Mary (b. 1920) both attended the Masters School, a boarding academy in Dobbs Ferry, NY and Sarah Lawrence College. Both married relatively young and lived their adult lives away from St. Joseph. Their mother visited them frequently before old age and ill health caused her to join her daughter Mary in New York for the last few years of her life.
It was in 1956 that the family began to try to sell the house that had been their home for four decades. On Aug. 18, 1956 the News Press carried this small ad: “For sale, residence 2101 Faraon Street, suitable for apartments, lot 182 foot deep, 82 foot frontage.” In December, 1958, when the home still had not sold, the ad became elaborate: “Large brick home, 4 rooms and ½ bath on 1st floor, 4 bedrooms and 2 baths on 2d floor, 3d floor has 3 finished rooms and bath. Large lot, 1 block from bus line. In good rental neighborhood.”
Luckily the house was sold to people who cherished it and took care of it, and it remains in very good condition, ready to welcome another family with big dreams.
