This parcel of land was sold by Thomas and Mary Gleason in 1876 to Albert Leffler (1846-1909). It is probable that Albert built this house in the 1880s for his family including Elizabeth Moseman Leffler, his wife, with whom he had two daughters and five sons. One of their daughters married and became Anna Leffler Crawford who had a son named Joseph Lawrence Crawford (1893-1958) and lived in the house here with the family.

When Albert died in 1909, his heirs collectively conveyed the home to their mother, Elizabeth. Her grandson, Joseph, was inducted for WWI on May 28, 1918. Overseas from July 1918 to February 1919, he was with Company B 310 MG BN; a patient at hospital on October 2, 1918; in Classification Camp A DEP Division; and 477th St. Aignan Casual Company. He was honorably discharged on March 10, 1919, is listed on the Honor Roll at Tydings Park, and later married Rosalie Crawford.

Just after Joseph’s return from the War, his grandmother Elizabeth sold this home in 1919 to her daughter, Anna Crawford, and Verna M. Crawford. Two years later, however, they sold this home to John H. Preston who married Lida Polar Preston. It is likely that the Prestons operated a store in this house. It was owned by them from 1921 to 1961, when John died, followed by Lida in 1962. And as noted in the MIHP inventory one of two front entrances was covered over by lattice at one time and one window was larger than others and possibly used for display. Both have been modified in recent renovations.

John and Lida Preston left the property to their two sons who sold it in 1964 to Cornelius J. and Helen C. Smith, who were in the real estate business. A couple more owners did some renovations before Olive M. Jones purchased the house in 1973 and in 1980 deeded it to her daughter, Mary Virginia Jones Perry. Mary Perry was a retired telephone operator when she passed away in February 2015. Her husband, Ralph Perry, succeeded her by only three months, having died in May 2015. Ralph Perry had served for 26 years in the Army National Guard. This house was their home for 35 years and where they raised their children. Ralph Perry’s estate sold this to the Heritage Property Group who did a major renovation over several months on the house and expanded the lot before reselling it.

This property was sold by Jamie Graziano and Kevin Knubel to Jacob M. and Danielle A. Crosby in 2017. Just three years later, the Crosbys sold this home to Susan N. Darwent.

County Records
Built 1935. 1344 sq ft, 2 stories no basement, 1/5 baths, 4840 sq ft lot.