5725
This house was built in 1889 by William Cairnduff, the developer of the Magnolia Glen area. Its first residents were Mr. and Mrs. Albert Buswell. Mr. Buswell was a cashier. The Boyd family moved into the home in 1907 and lived there until 1956. The current owners have lived here since 1956.
The house is constructed of wood on a limestone block foundation. The exterior is sided with a grooved wood siding and shingles of both straight and fish-scale designs. The central window of the parlor is stained glass and the front porch with its turned pillars is original.
As you enter the front hall, note the beautiful staircase with oak turned wood spindles. In this hall, you see the bull’s-eye molding that was popular before the turn of the century. Halfway up the stairs, you will see a doorway - a connection to the back stairway which was used by the live-in servants. The stairway has been removed. In the dining room is an electric fireplace with the original tiles on the surround and hearth. The beautiful colors are toned blue, probably in keeping with the stained glass in the parlor.
The backyard is the current owner’s pride and joy and it illustrates how much can be grown in a small space. The garage was built in the 1930s by a friend of the owner. The man was a bricklayer who was out of work and homeless during the Depression. The owner gave him a place to stay and, in return, the bricklayer built a fine garage. Notice the face brick and the details above the doorways.