A Chelsea Morning in the City of Tonawanda

Ray H Bennett "Chelsea" from Catalog# 39 published in 1930 

 The Chelsea is another traditional English-style home that was offered by Bennett Better Built Homes. Offered two years it appears in catalog# 39 in 1930 and catalog# 40 in 1932. Considering it was only offered for two years, I have found pockets of them in North Tonawanda (at least three on one street), Niagara Falls, NY, and two next door to each other in Lima, OH (one is authenticated through newspaper ads, but I am not sure which house). Of course I see this style house everywhere and of course I think it's a Bennett but there are specific details common to most Bennett houses and they make the Chelsea a Bennett. We'll check those details out further down. Right now I am concentrating on a small sub-division in the City of Tonawanda (Erie County). Almost all of the streets are named after New York State towns (yes, we have a Canton).

First up in the City of Tonwanda is a near-perfect example of Bennett Chelsea. 

82 Mullen St, Tonawanda (City), NY (image courtesy of Google Streetview)

82 Mullen St, Tonawanda (City), NY (image courtesy of Google Streetview)

82 Mullen St, Tonawanda (City), NY (image courtesy of Google Streetview)

82 Mullen St, Tonawanda (City), NY (image courtesy of Google Streetview)

82 Mullen St, Tonawanda (City), NY (image courtesy of Google Streetview)

As you can see, it has the window in the vestibule on the outside and the roof over the side door. The window is frequently vinyled over and houses tend to lose the little porticos over the side door either from age or also vinylizing. The windows match up nicely with the catalog blueprint, too. There is an extra window on the second floor, added to the front bedroom on the non-vestibule side. Casement windows on the first floor still flank where the chimney should be. Original builders probably opted for no fireplace. The front door is not original, but the windows look like they could be. Though not the style in the catalog photo, they are a type offered by Bennett. 

Window styles offered in the 1926 Bennett Bargain Book millwork catalog. Courtesy Archive.org

6-pane windows at 82 Mullens St, Tonawanda (City), NY (image courtesy of Google Streetview)

Next up is 37 Dekalb St. This is two blocks south of Mullen St in the City of Tonawanda. This is a reverse plan, but is also a good example of thr Chelsea. Even though it was also built without the fireplace and therefor missing the chimney, a second window hasn't been added to the front bedroom on that side of the house. Though the house has been vinyl-sided and has lost the vestibule window, it looks like it has a Bennett "Lafayette" front door and the original style windows. Windows look good on the catalog side of the house and the original side door awning has been replaced with a stylish aluminum one, which in itself looks pretty vintage.

37 Dekalb St, Tonawanda (City), NY. (Image courtesy Google Streetview.)

37 Dekalb St, Tonawanda (City), NY. (Image courtesy Google Streetview.)

37 Dekalb St, Tonawanda (City), NY. (Image courtesy Google Streetview.)

37 Dekalb St, Tonawanda (City), NY. (Image courtesy Google Streetview.)

"Lafayette" Exterior door as seen in the 1926 Bennett Bargain Book millwork catalog. Courtesy Archive.org

Front door of 37 Dekalb St, City of Tonawanda, NY. (Image courtesy of Google Streetview)

Another glorious example of the Chelsea in the same section of the City of Tonawanda is at 23 Canton St. Not yet a victim of vinyl, it has what may be the original shingles. No fireplace or chimney, but it does have the two casement windows and the single window in the front bedroom on that side. The vestibule has its window and the side door has its awning. Windows match up beautifully. Reverse plan. 

The windows themselves are a mixture of original and replacements, the half-moon window is in place and enlarged, as is the vent thingie over the front door. 

23 Canton St, Tonawanda (City), NY. (Image courtesy of Google Streetview)

23 Canton St, Tonawanda (City), NY. (Image courtesy of Google Streetview)

23 Canton St, Tonawanda (City), NY. (Image courtesy of Google Streetview)

Left: Detail from Catalog# 30. Right: Detail of 23 Canton St from Google Streetview. 

The Bennett Chelsea, Catalog#30 courtesy Archive.org. 

Floorplan and description from Catalog# 30. Courtsey Archive.org.

I have two more in that sub-division that I am not 100% sure about so I hesitate to say YES. I will say "probable." Here they are:

145 Linwood Ave, Tonawanda, NY. It has been vinylized and is missing windows, such as the vesitbule and catalog-side bedroom window. The triple window at the front of the house has been replaced with a bay-window. Roof over the side door isn't the style illustrated in the catalog. None of these are deal breakers. The bathroom window, however, is in a weird spot. Front second floor windows are in the right place and it has the half-moon. There is the breakfast room of the kitchen at the back of the house. 

The house does have the fireplace and chimney, but the casement windows on either side are missing, probably due to being vinyled over. The triple window of the dining room is good. The second floor bedroom windows are strange. Back bedroom is moved forward like the bathroom window on the other side of the house and a little window was added to the front bedroom. 

145 Linwood Ave, Tonawanda (City), NY (Image courtesy of Google Streetview)

145 Linwood Ave, Tonawanda (City), NY (Image courtesy of Google Streetview)

I am inclined to think it is a Chelsea and would add it to the list because the proportions are good and there is a Bennett Winston right next door, though that doesn't really mean anything. Just makes it more likely. (Plus there are other Bennett houses on the street.)                               

Another probable reverse-plan Bennett Chelsea but with some major issues is 106 Mullen St. I will get the major elephant in the room out of the way. The front door is off-set with the window next to it. This in itself was enough for me to say no way at first. But – the proportions are good, though the vestibule might be a little deep, the triple window on the facade is good, the placement of the second floor windows on the facade are also good.

Moving on to the non-catalog side, all look pretty good except there is a double window instead of  triple in the dining room. No fireplace/chimney, but the casement windows are there in typical Bennett fashion. Moving upstairs, there is no added window in the front bedroom and the existing bedroom window is where it should be, but again, the bathroom window is in a different place than in the floor plan. Not a deal breaker because —

Looking at the catalog side of the house, with the exception of the vestibule window that was moved to the front, the windows are a great match and even the side door roof is like the catalog. It also has the breakfast room at the back of the house off the kitchen. 

106 Mullen St, Tonawanda (City), NY (Image courtesy of Google Streetview)

106 Mullen St, Tonawanda (City), NY (Image courtesy of Google Streetview)

106 Mullen St, Tonawanda (City), NY (Image courtesy of Google Streetview)

The more I look at the houses on Mullen and Linwood, the more I am incline to put them on the "tes" list. Maybe not with a capital "T" but taking in factors like location and surrounding homes, I think it is a safe bet. 
 

Not so well in Wellsville, NY?; or, Taking the "Dutch" out of Dutch Colonial. A Bennett Montrose Story

The Bennett Better Built "Montrose" a Dutch Colonial as seen in Catalog 34, copyright 1926. 

Looking for a testimonial Bennett "Peerless" in Wellsville, NY (though I normally don't go looking for garages), I decided to troll Trulia real estate ads for possible 1920s-era Bennett homes there. Even though Zillow generally has more listing, you can literally search thousands of sold houses instead of only 500 out of thousands on Zillow.

First interesting house I see is an Aladdin Brentwood, one of the larger Aladdin "mansions". (I checked it out -- it's on our national database of Aladdin houses.) Then I saw a little house that looked like it could be an Aladdin Potomac economy bungalow. It also looked like it was on a street of possibilities. I did a little street view drive-by and saw — GASP! —  a slightly worn, rather nice, colorful house that looked like either the Bennett Elmwood or her twin, the Montrose. Pulling up in my Google car, I get out, virtually walk around with a few Bennett catalogs in hand and come to the conclusion that it is a Bennett Montrose as seen in Catalog 34 which was published in 1926. 

The Bennett Montrose was first offered in the 1925 catalog (No. 30) along with its sister model, the Elmwood. The Elmwood was a 6-room Dutch Colonial with a fireplace and the Montrose was an 8-room Dutch Colonial without a fireplace but with an extra breakfast nook off the kitchen. Both models had enclosed porches (referred to in the catalogs as a "sunroom". Both had 4 windows. The next year, while the smaller Elmwood retained four windows, the larger Montrose gained a fifth. 

The Montrose (left) and the Elmwood (right) as they appear in the 1925 catalog

The house I saw is at 82 O'Connor St, a not densely populated street very close to the train tracks. In fact it Railroad St and the train station are only a scant few miles away. 

Though some of the windows were enlarged on the sides, such as the window on the staircase and the first floor window on the catalog side, it matches the catalog photo nicely. Look at the beautiful five windows. 

82 O'Connor St Wellsville. Google Streetview capture 2015

82 O'Connor St Wellsville. Google Streetview capture 2015

82 O'Connor St Wellsville. Google Streetview capture 2015

82 O'Connor St Wellsville. Google Streetview capture 2015

82 O'Connor St Wellsville. Google Streetview capture 2015

1926 catalog image courtesy Archive.org

While researching the address to see what I can find, I discovered the house sold back in September 2020. Ooh! Real Estate photos of the interior! So off I go to Realtor.com. First thing I see is that the house has been encased in vinyl 😢. Then I realized that all that made the house a Dutch Colonial has been removed and smoothed over 😢😢.  I know there are many reasons to do something like this: underlying rot, leaking, trim falling off, aethetics, expense . . . This job was actually well done. The roof lines are there making me believe that the Montrose (and Elmwood) is NOT a true Dutch Colonial in that it doesn't have a true gambrel roof.  

82 O'Connor St Wellsville, NY courtesy the Realtor.com listing. (Why oh WHY?!)

But once I got past the initial photo, I was a happy camper. All of the original details as indicated in the catalog are still there!

Living room facing the sunroom and vestibule and side window (enlarged from the catalog plans) Photo courtesty Realtor.com

Living room, vestibule, and sun room of the Montrose from the 1926 Bennett catalog.

As you can see from the layout, the vestibule is separated from the living room with a single French door, and the sun rooms is separated from the living room by a set of double French doors just like this house. The newel post also matches that which was offered in the Montrose. Dig those five windows. 

View of stair case courtesy Realtor.com    

Bennett stairway and newell post as offered in 1926's Bennett Bargain Book.

They even include a close up of the newel post in the listing!

Photo courtesy of the Realtor.com listing.

It is newel design number 680. 

Here is a nice view of the two sets of French doors. You can see the double side window in the sun room. The hardware isn't very distinguished and rather common, unlike Sears which had some fabulous, unique-to-them hardware.

Photo courtesy of the Realtor.com listing.

The dining room is separated from the living room by a plastered arch whereas the catalog calls out a cased opening. Plastered arches are a very common offering in Bennett designs and this might have been a less expensive option.  You can see the two separate living room windows.

Photo courtesy of the Realtor.com listing.

Catalog 34, 1926. Courtesy of Archive.org

Millwork like inside doors and window sashes are typical Bennett. Upstairs hallway and room configuration match the catalog layout. 

The catalog says that the Montrose comes with a "Mohawk" front door, but the front door isn't shown in the real estate photos.

Catalog 34, 1926. Courtesy of Archive.org

Here are close-ups of the floor plans. 

Catalog 34, 1926. Courtesy of Archive.org

Catalog 34, 1926. Courtesy of Archive.org

I have found a few very nice Montrose houses, even a Montrose on Montrose Avenue in Buffalo! It is one of the many Dutch Colonial houses that Bennett Better-Built Homes offered and one of my favorites. 

If you want to drive around and see the house as it appeared in 2015, click HERE