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| 11/20/2009 | Email this article • Print this article | Tour to feature historic homes
Eric Jones
Recorder News Staff
St. Mary's Hospital Auxiliary will be hosting the "Christmas in November Holiday Home Tours" event this Saturday, showcasing several area houses in and around the Amsterdam area. The homes will all be decorated in the holiday spirit with lights, ornaments, and other Christmas effects.
One of the homes, the Murphy home on 80 Locust Ave., has also been proposed for nomination to the New York State and National Historic Register, due to its historical value to the city of Amsterdam.
The location is notable due to its unique architecture and is considered to be one of the oldest properties in the city. The stained glass windows inside the building, as well as the glass and wooden doors and furnishings give the house an appearance almost identical to how it looked in the early 1900s.
"I think it should be up because it's one of the most historic properties in Amsterdam," said William Murphy, the home's owner. "There's probably houses that are older, but the ones similar to ours came 15-20 years after. It's one of the first Queen Anne estates built, and it's good for the community to have more houses like this recognized."
The house also has a wide variety of famed owners, as well. Luther L. Dean, who initially owned the building, was notable as owning Park Knitting Mills, one of the most prosperous knitting factories in Amsterdam at the turn of the 20th century. Dean also served as president of Amsterdam's Board of Trade, and founded Amsterdam Savings Bank, serving as vice president. Dean's ancestors were also among the city's original founders.
In 1912, upon his death, Dean's son-in-law Charles E. French took over as owner of the estate. French followed in his father-in-law's footsteps, becoming president of Amsterdam's Board of Trade, president of Amsterdam Savings Bank, and president of the Amsterdam Free Library, co-founded by French's father.
The house remained in the Dean-French family until 1972, when Dean's granddaughter, Eleanor French Blessin,g sold the home to the Palmieri family, who later sold the home to area oral surgeon Sok Nam Ko, who also used part of the house as his office. The Ko family remained owners until 2005, when the house was sold to Murphy.
"One of the good parts about the city is that we have these historic homes, and I think people should recognize that," said Murphy. "When I bought this home it was it was to have it preserved and keep it part of the community."
While Murphy doesn't plan to use the Christmas tour to promote the nomination, he does hope it gives area residents an opportunity to see where the house came from.
"I think it's interesting in this community, they drive by houses like this, and they don't know where they come from," said Murphy. "I'll be laying out the history of the house, and letting people take an opportunity at seeing where the house came from."
Murphy's wife, Patrice, also anticipates showing off the house, and hopes the tour builds greater knowledge of historic properties in the area.
"There's six houses on the tour, and I think it just raises some awareness about what Amsterdam has in terms of architecture," she said.
The tour will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, and will also feature the Mycek home in Hagaman, as well as the Constantino home, the Fedullo home, the Fraumeni home, and the Lorman home in Amsterdam. Advance tickets and tour maps are available from St. Mary's Hospital Gift Shop, Damiano's Flowers, and June's Hallmark for $15 per adult and $8 for children. Tickets will also be available the day of the tour at $20 for adults.
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