For Bradford Landmark Society curator Sally Costik, the historic homes in the area speak volumes, and for a full room of listeners at Bradford Area Public Library Wednesday evening, a snippet of those stories came to life.
Costik, who has been the curator of the landmark society for 25 years, has been working on a book about the historic homes of Bradford for 18 years. One book in what has become a series will be released around Christmas time.
During Wednesday’s talk, Costik shared examples of the most common types of homes in Bradford, from the American Four Square to the Queen Anne and the Eastlake, a “fancier version of the Queen Anne.”
Costik showed examples of each type, noting characteristic features and — sometimes — the fact that the home originally fit the bill but when seen today is dramatically different.
“I know everybody’s house,” Costik said at one point Wednesday. She was referring to the characteristics, the changes and the striking features that give the house its unique character.
Costik’s own home was part of the talk Wednesday. She shared that, in addition to the fact that the home was previously the residence of William Harrison Emery and later his son, Harri Emery, the Bradford pilot who was killed in a plane crash near Kane in the late 1920s, one of the biggest causes of consternation to area residents was when she and her husband opted to side the home in “Cinnabar Red.” The change drew comments from passersby for some time after the siding was put in place.
The most popular reaction, according to Costik, was “Seriously? Red?!”
Costik’s talk Wednesday night was a precursor to the Landmark Legends Architectural Tour, which will be held Sept. 28 from noon to four. Historic homes throughout the Bradford area — nine in total — will be opened to those who have purchased tickets.
Among the nine homes highlighted in the tour will be 162 Kennedy St., the home of Brad Preston — and the only home that Costik has been unable to identify in terms of the style of architecture. In fact, in the booklet for the tour, the home does not have a style classification. Instead, it incorporates elements of several different styles.
Old City Hall, the old post office, homes on Jackson Avenue and The Flatiron Building, aka the Rufus Barrett Stone Law Office, which is currently operating as an Air BnB, are part of the tour. A trolley will be available to take people to each home, or those with tickets can drive themselves if they so choose. There is no specific order. Instead, ticket holders are invited to visit the homes in the order they find most appealing.
Tickets come with a program booklet that shares information on each home. Tickets can be purchased at the Bradford Landmark Society before or the day of the tour. Only 300 tickets are being sold.
For more information, contact Costik at The Bradford Landmark Society.
