Houses are remembered by the families they sheltered

Today, neighborhoods change more often than they did in centuries past as families move in and out more frequently. Early East Mulberry Street families played interesting and often inter-related roles in the history of Lancaster.

Readers met John C. Hite on this page (Eagle-Gazette Jan. 26, 2015). Hite lived at 122 E. Mulberry St. and his house is still standing. Readers met Joe Mattox (Eagle-Gazette, April 13, 2015). His house once stood around the corner at 234 N. Broad St.

William Hutchinson, a neighbor of Hite’s, purchased a full lot to the west of Hite in 1866 for $2,900. In 1879 Hutchinson purchased an additional half lot in between his property and Hite’s at a public auction for $1,275. Then in 1881 Hutchinson sold the west half of the full lot he had purchased in 1866 to Hattie Shaeffer, wife of attorney Daniel K. Shaeffer, for $3,300.

The first house west of Hite’s became 116 E. Mulberry, the house Hutchinson built. One house west of the Hutchinson house became 112 E. Mulberry, the Shaeffers’ house. These houses facing East Mulberry Street and Joe Mattox’s house facing North Broad stood where the First Presbyterian Church sanctuary and parking lot are today.

Hutchinson House

William Hutchinson was born about 1818 in Perry County. For many years he was a merchant in Rushville. When the 1860 U.S. Census was taken, William was 42 and living in West Rushville with his wife, Mary Ann (Gardner), who was then 36. Mary Ann’s mother, Julia Gardner, was 62 and living with them as well as a 7-year-old niece, Mary Carroll.

When still a baby, the niece had been given to Mrs. Hutchinson by her dying mother. She raised the child as her own. The Hutchinson family had moved into Lancaster by 1870, and on Feb. 10, 1874, Miss Mary Carroll married Mr. O. P. Hause of Reading, Pennsylvania, in the Methodist Church.

After William Hutchinson bought Mulberry Street property at an 1879 auction, the following notice appeared in the Gazette (March 27, 1879): “William Hutchinson, Esq., has purchased the property adjoining his premises on the east, on Mulberry street, and will shortly begin the building of an elegant residence there. The building now occupying the site has been sold and will be removed…The Orman Bros. have the contract for Hutchison’s new Mulberry street residence.” This house became 116 E. Mulberry St.

When the 1880 U.S. Census was taken, living in the Hutchinsons’ new house were:

William (now 62 and retired), his wife Mary, their niece Mary Carroll Hause and her 6-year old son “Hutchie,” Kate Lee, a domestic servant, and Mrs. Hutchinson’s mother, Julia Gardner, who was then 82. “Hutchie” had been born Nov. 11, 1874, and named William Hutchinson Hause. By 1890-91 the Lancaster City Directory listed Mary Hause as the widow of Oliver P. Hause.

Death visited the Hutchinson home during the next few years. Mary Hutchinson’s mother died in 1885. Mary’s husband, William Hutchinson, died at 73 on Feb. 27, 1892. His obituary stated: “He suffered intensely within recent years from attacks of paralysis which rendered him helpless physically, at the same time impairing his mental faculties.” William left the home on Mulberry Street to his wife, and his “business property” in Rushville to his niece, Mrs. Hause.

William H. Hause, “Hutch,” enlisted in May 1898 during the Spanish–American War, and was discharged Jan. 20, 1899. By May of 1900 he had located in Alaska, and was listed in the census as a prospector living in Copper River. Hutch’s “grandmother,” Mrs. Mary Hutchinson, passed away at 116 E. Mulberry St. on April 17, 1900. It is not known if Hutch attended her funeral.

Hutch’s mother, Mary Carroll Hause, then died Oct. 14, 1900. Her obituary (Gazette, Oct. 19, 1900) stated she died at the Protestant Hospital in Columbus. She “was a niece of the late Mrs. Wm. Hutchinson of this city, who died only a few months ago, and with whom she made her home since childhood, her parents both dying when she was a child. She leaves one son, Lieut. (William) Hutchinson Hause, to mourn her death. Her remains were brought to her home, on Mulberry Street from whence the funeral will take place.”

Her estate consisted of the East Mulberry Street house, a store property in Rushville and $2,500 in Building and Loan Co. stock. Her estate was put in a trust for her son, and Dr. F. P. Stukey was appointed trustee.

Home to second generation

Hutch Hause returned to Ohio, and on Oct. 20, 1902 ,married Helen (Nelle) Collins of Cleveland. They lived at 116 E. Mulberry St. and remained there until 1917.

During these years Hutch worked for the J. F. Cherry Co. of Newark as a “commercial traveler” selling cigars. A son, George, was born to the couple in 1903.

“Hutch Hause Takes Management of Milwaukee Branch Lee Tire and Rubber Co.” was the article that appeared in the Daily Eagle (June 4, 1917) announcing the family’s move. On Aug. 11 it was reported Charles Griffith of Amanda had purchased their house for $6,000. On Aug. 17 the Daily Eagle reported “Mrs. Hutch Hause and son left yesterday for Milwaukee, Wisconsin where they go to join Mr. Hause in their new location to reside permanently.”

An obituary for “W. H. ‘Hutch’ Hause” appeared 34 years later in the Eagle-Gazette (Sept. 15, 1951). He died at 76 in St. Petersburg, Florida, and was survived by wife Helen and son George.

The obit stated: “He was a well-known athlete in his youth, being a member of Lancaster’s first semi-pro football team…In the 1880s Hause was drum major of the Mechanics Band.” He was also a member of the Masonic Lodge, Shrine Club, Lancaster Country Club, Lancaster Athletic Club and the Episcopal Church. His obituary closed with these words: “The family formerly lived at 116 East Mulberry St.”

New residents

The family of Charles W. Griffith, who moved into the Hutchinson house in 1917 was listed in the 1920 U.S. Census as: Charles, 52, wife Fannie (Creed), daughter Alice, 13, sons Thomas, 8, and Joseph, 6, and Olivia Bryan, 22, a black servant. During the 1920s Griffith served as president of the Lancaster school board and elder of the First Presbyterian Church. By 1930 the family was living in Columbus, where Charles died in 1931.

The family of George L. Eggert owned 116 E. Mulberry St. by 1935. His wife Florence had died at 34 in 1917 and left the father with three small sons. George was a “prominent oil man.” By 1940 George was living in the home with his three adult sons, an 82-year-old aunt and a maid. George died in 1942 at 56.

The Lancaster City Directory lists Wilbur and Mona Sweeney as living in the house for a few years in the mid-1940s. By 1949 it was occupied by H. Paul Langwasser and his wife Mary Ellen, who some readers may remember.

According to the Eagle-Gazette Sesquicentennial Edition (June 3, 1950, p. F-18) Edward J. Blair was the first merchant to sell electrical appliances in Lancaster. He opened a store at 111 E. Main in 1921. Paul Langwasser and Harold Palm purchased Blair’s store in 1929 and it became the Radio Electric Appliance Co. It expanded into 109-111 E. Main and occupied the site until its building was purchased in 1962 and demolished for the current Fairfield Federal Savings & Loan building. The Langwasser home at 116 E. Mulberry St. was one of three houses purchased by the First Presbyterian Church by 1967 to be razed to make room for a new church sanctuary.

When a photo of the house at 112 E. Mulberry being demolished appeared in the Eagle-Gazette (Oct. 13, 1967), the former Langwasser home could be seen in the background. It was to be demolished last for construction of a parking lot.

Next door neighbors

Above, we learned William Hutchinson sold part of a lot he owned to Hattie and Daniel K. Shaeffer in 1881. Daniel was born in Lancaster, and studied and then practiced law here until his health failed. He was afflicted with epilepsy and died at 34. Daniel’s obituary in the Gazette (Dec. 13, 1890) stated he was leaving behind “a true and faithful wife” and “an interesting boy.” Hattie continued to live at 112 E. Mulberry until at least 1905.

About this time, Carl Kirn was living at his parents’ home, 140 W. Wheeling St., and working as a clerk in the shoe store owned by his uncle C. F. Kirn. In 1912 C. F. Kirn sold his shoe store to his two nephews, Carl and Albert Kirn. The Kirn Brothers’ shoe store was next door to Joe Mattox’s Main Street store.

Kirn family house

Carl Kirn married Nan Woolery in 1913. When 112 E. Mulberry St. was sold at a sheriff’s sale (March 31, 1917), Carl bought it for his growing family, and moved in “next door” to Joe Mattox. Their first daughter, Mary, was born in 1916 and their second daughter, Dorothy, was born in 1917.

Nan Kirn died unexpectedly in 1938. The Eagle-Gazette (Jan. 2, 1940) announced: “After spending 40 years behind the foot stool, 28 in operation of their own store, Mr. Carl and Albert Kirn, of the Kirn Brothers Shoe Company, today announced their retirement from business.”

Twenty years later Carl Kirn died. “Mr. Kirn’s impeccable dress, friendly smile and ready greeting were familiar trademarks during his many years in the downtown business scene. Mr. Kirn’s brisk walk downtown every morning for a cup of coffee and his New York paper continued until just recently, when he was forced to re-enter the hospital,” reported his obituary published Nov. 21, 1960.

“Many of his closest friends recount they could never remember Mr. Kirn when he wasn’t immaculately attired, or ever saw him without a white shirt and tie, neatly pressed business suit and brightly shined shoes.”

At the time of his death, Mr. Kirn was vice president of the Lancaster National Bank, vice president and treasurer of Equitable Federal Savings and Loan, and had served as a trustee and treasurer of Emanuel Lutheran Church for 37 years.

Less than three months after Carl Kirn’s death, this notice appeared in the Eagle-Gazette (Feb. 3, 1961): “At the recent annual meeting of the First Presbyterian Church, the congregation voted to buy the Carl Kirn property located at 112 E. Mulberry St. to meet the needs of an expanding city and congregation.”

Three houses were razed but their histories live on in the stories of the families they sheltered.

Readers may contact Harvey at joycelancastereg@gmail.com.