Former Jerre Wirt Blank Funeral Home and contents to be auctioned in May | News

NORTHUMBERLAND — The oldest setting up in Northumberland Borough and its contents will be auctioned off in May well.

Auctioneer Jeffrey Dunkelberger, of Paxinos, claimed the contents of the former Jerre Wirt Blank Funeral Residence at 309 H2o St. will be out there for sale in an on-line auction until eventually Might 19, and the creating itself will then be auctioned off at a day to be identified. Longtime funeral director Jerre Wirt Blank died on Nov. 22 at his home at the age of 82.

“There are not many properties like this that occur up for auction,” explained Dunkelberger, with 31 yrs of auctioneer working experience. “There’s not a whole lot of chance for a assets like this and items inside to be marketed. It does will need repairs, but for it to be mainly intact, it is a neat issue.”

Graydon Dunkelberger, auction manager, explained a new house owner could convert it into a bed and breakfast or large-finish residences.

“It would be nice to see someone restore it back again to what it was,” he claimed.

Record of the making

The making, also previously recognised as the Elliot-Davis House, is regarded the oldest household in the borough. The lot was previously owned by Joseph Priestley. The house was designed in 3 areas. The initial segment, at the rear, was created in 1772. Additions were built in 1811 by John Boyd, a Northumberland service provider, and in 1876 by William Elliot, a railroad contractor. It has operated as a mortuary company given that 1927, in accordance to records from the Northumberland County Historic Culture and The Day-to-day Product archives.

The four-tale building has 44 rooms, not including the cupola over the fourth ground. The setting up is embellished with a tower, a slate Mansard roof, heavy cornices, rounded topped home windows and stylized corner quoins. The significant home windows on the 1st, second and 3rd floors are normal of the Mediterranean Italian villa style. The containers or Mansard roof is usual of the mid-19th century French Next Empire. The early two-tale brick structure going through King Road is a four around 4 — four rooms on each of two flooring stacked on top of just one an additional — central hall Colonial, in accordance to historic society substance.

The property has had numerous house owners, together with the Elliot spouse and children starting in 1860 and the Davis family beginning in 1927. Blank acquired the property in 1977, according to historic modern society product.

“Someone mentioned the proprietor added the cupola back again in the working day to make it the tallest creating in Northumberland,” stated Jeffrey Dunkelberger.

Within the constructing

The making is complete of fireplaces, substantial arched doorways and ceilings, large picket doors and ornate stairwells. The mortuary business was situated on the 1st ground and the next flooring was residing quarters.

“It must have been in the 1800s quite the spot,” reported Jeffrey Dunkelberger. “Both sides of the setting up are like mirrors of each other. Once you know where you are at on 1 aspect, you can go on the other.”

The third and fourth flooring have to have considerable repairs. There is water problems, cracking or collapsed plaster, cracked windows, and exposed unique brick wall and frame, amid other destruction.

The constructing also has at least four horse skulls somewhere in the floorboards. Blank gave an interview with The Day-to-day Product in October 2011 about obtaining two of the four skulls when transforming an upstairs rest room between the initial and next floor in 1984.

Elliott found the skulls through his renovations and wrote on them saying, in influence, that they had been uncovered in the ceiling concerning the initial and second floors and ended up put there “the motive we know not why.” A 2nd concept on the skulls said the Davis family had found them there in 1926, according to reviews in The Each day Product.

There are extra than 600 tons of personalized residence for sale, which include mortuary devices, paintings, pictures, textbooks, home furniture, pre-Civil War paperwork, dishes, kitchenware, trinkets, clocks, appliances, decorations, and hundreds of other objects. There’s even a wood sign that made use of to hang on the developing that reads “Elliot-Davis House. 1772-1875. 1811.”

A daughter’s memories

Penny Hupp, Blank’s daughter, stated her parents were divorced when her father purchased the constructing. She only put in time there throughout the summer.

“When I was in significant school, I did have a Halloween sleepover celebration with a bunch of ladies,” mentioned Hupp. “At that time the third floor was entirely unfinished and super creepy. The fantastic setting. They even now provide it up when I run into them.”

Blank liked living in that dwelling and in Northumberland in general, explained Hupp.

“He was Sunbury born, but regarded Northumberland house,” she claimed. “His hope was for someone to delight in, and maintain the background of the property he held so expensive.”

Hupp’s siblings David Blank and Abby Nunn explained their fondest memories are of annual household KFC Christmas get-togethers. The six grandsons would operate all-around the large place enjoying chase. David Blank would also operate funerals there when he and his father were being partners.

Auction specifics

The on the web auction for the contents of the setting up can be found at hibid.com (https://hibid.com/catalog/363279/blank-estate-online-auction/?fbclid=IwAR38dLXs9rOm15GDDZhIhw6sfHCstv0w4uv6RwlwcQ1o9_s6ygc4fiihciI).

Bidding started on April 16 and will finish on May possibly 19. The initial large amount will get started to close at 5 p.m Could 19.

The auction for the developing will be held both on-line and in particular person.