The Drexel is one of my favorite Bennett designs and, from how many I have found, a popular model. It was first offered in Catalog No. 30, which was published in 1925, and then featured on the covers of catalogs numbers 34 (1926) and 38 (1928).
 |
| Bennett Catalog No. 34. 1926. Image courtesy Archive.org |
 |
| Bennett Catalog No. 38. 1928. Image courtesy of Archive.org. |
There are some minor cosmetic differences between the 1925 version and the next years'. The layout was identical but the 1925 version didn't have a roof over the side door and the milk box was inside the side vestibule, whereas the 1926 and later versions had a pitched roof over the side door and the milkbox was accessible from outside the house.
The Drexel is such a unique and intriguing design. (Well, as unique as a Bennett model having a sister can be. The Dorchester is the Drexel's stucco, less-popular, probably more expensive fraternal twin.)
 |
| The Dorchester |
Back in 2015, I was going through the RE/mortgage/deeds/lien notices mentioning Bennett Homes over at Old Fulton New York Postcards (
https://fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html) when I came across a mortgage transaction from Carolyn R Lyman in Tonawanda, NY to Ray H Bennett Lumber Company in a 1926 paper.
1926 also brought a date for the transaction — December 5, 1925
The 1930 census puts Carolyn and her husband Edward at 100 Claremont Ave in Tonawanda (Township of), NY. 100 Claremont Ave brought me to my first Drexel. Reverse plan, but definitely a Drexel and not a non-stucco Dorchester because the windows line up perfectly for the Drexel.
 |
| Screen grab I took back in 2015. Google streetview. |
 |
| Windows match up nicely to the Drexel catalog image. 2015 screen grab from Google streetview. |
I drove down Claremont Ave a few times in the ensuing years when I worked in Depew, NY. The house isn't too far away from where I live – about 15 minutes south and east of me. There was no place for me to park to take photos, but I did notice that it still had the little window over the vestibule. The window has usually been vinyled over.
Fast forward seven years and I trip over a real estate ad on Trulia for 100 Claremont! With an Open House! I haven't been out of the house (except for work, helping my sister-in-law, or errands) for two years. I decide I can double mask-up to go and explore.
Click to see listing
 |
| Bennett Drexel built in 1925 by Carolyn and Edward Lyman at 100 Claremont Ave, Tonawanda NY. Photo courtesy of Howard Hanna WNY |
Most of the photos are from the real estate listing and are courtesy of Howard Hanna WNY Inc and are watermarked WNY Reis. I took photos of details like the front door, linen closet, staircase, windows, etc.
Two factors that also point to the 1925 version, in case you didn't have the mortgage information, are the fact that there is no roof over the side door (though that could have been removed) and that the milk box is inside.
 |
| 100 Claremont, Tonawanda, NY from the real estate listing. |
 |
| Bennett Drexel from 1925 catalog image flipped. Archive.org |
 |
| The "catalog" side windows match the image beautifully and look at the small window! Photograph Sarah Mullane |
According to the floor plan, there are two French doors between the Living room and the Dining room, flanking the fireplace. These have been replaced by plastered arches, which were a typlical Bennett offering and probably a less expensive option. There is supposed to be a set of French doors between the Living room and Hall, but this, too, has been replaced with a plastered arch. The original hardwood floors are amazing throughout the house.
The sunroom would generally line up with the vestibule wall and would hit somewhere between the first and second sets of double windows.
 |
| Living room facing the street. |
The one place that does have the French doors besides the front door (which is described as a French design), the set at the back of the dining room that opens up onto a concrete deck. They are beautiful and just where they are supposed to be!
 |
| Dining room and French doors to the back patio. Look at that perfect triple window! |
 |
| French doors leading from the Dining room to the patio. The bumpout on the back is the breakfast room. |
The breakfast room is there with the double window, but it has been altered, and expanded to make a half bath. The half bathroom is off the breakfast room and is an add on, or at least not on the original floor plan.
 |
| Breakfast room |
 |
| Breakfast room looking through to the kitchen on the right and bathroom to the left |
The kitchen needs updating. I hope they don't open everything up.
 |
| Kitchen with peeks into the side hall and foyer. |
 |
| Kitchen with a peek into the breakfast room. |
 |
| Kitchen looking toward the Dining room. Breakfast room to the right. |
The milk box in the 1925 version of the house is inside the house. The milkman came inside and dropped the bottles in the box. The ice box was also located here at the top of the stairs. It's now a closet or pantry. The basement and the rest of the house must have been kept locked. Not exactly sure where the bottles would go. On the floor plan it says "cupboard". (For that matter, the milk box is also inside of my 1927 home. Can't tell where it was supposed to go. Butler's pantry? That's the one part of my house that has been altered.) The next catalog access was moved outside which is more typical.
 |
| Milk box and side door and a visitor in the kitchen examining the information I brought with me. Photo by Sarah Mullane. |
 |
Milk box as seen from the stairs up from the side door. Basement stairs are down and to the left. You can see the entrance to the kitchen on the right. Those double cabinet/pantry doors is where the ice box was originally according to the plans. Photo by Sarah Mullane
Moving upstairs, but bypassing the staircase which I will come to later. The bedrooms and closets are just as they should be, and except for the full bathroom being modernized, in highly original condition, including floor vents.
The wonderful thing about this house, which I should have mentioned before, is that it has not one deck accessed from a bedroom, but two! One is in the large front bedroom and opens upon onto the deck over the living room and the other is in the back of the house and the master bedroom and opens over the breakfast room. Only the front bedroom specifies French doors. The back bedroom has a regular door.
The larger of the two front bedrooms:
 | Front bedroom with French door to deck over living room.
|
 | Front bedroom and closet. The closet is very deep.
|
I am calling the back bedrrom the Master bedroom only because it is the largest and also closest to the bathroom. The closet is smaller, however. The back bedroom:
 | Back or Master bedroom. Door on the right is the closet door and the left hand is the door to the deck.
|
 | Other side of the back bedroom.
|
|
 |
| Photo of the back of the house. Good view of the balcony door and single window. |
What about the other front bedroom? What is that weird little window over the vestibule?
The second front bedroom is the smallest out of the three. Nothing too exciting.
 |
| Small front bedroom looking at the bedroom door. Window is on the side of the house |
 |
Small front bedroom with window looking out the front.
|
The small front bedroom is actually larger than it looks in the photo. The thing it lacks, according to a young couple at the viewing, is a closet. But what is that door? That's the door to the attic — and also a closet! The window is a closet window. The closet is not as small or non-existent as the young couple thought and I can only imaging what fun young kids must have had playing hide and seek behind what clothes would be hanging there. Kind of like when I was small hiding in the cedar closet.
 |
Window over the vestibule. Photo by Sarah Mullane.
|
The bathroom, as I said, has been modernized somewhat. Tile floors look original as does the door and whatever the door is. Maybe a laundry chute, but I doubt it.
Let's go back downstairs to check out the foyer and vestibule.
 |
| The view down. Photo by Sarah Mullane. |
 |
| The view from the foot of the stairs with newel post. Photo by Sarah Mullane. |
The newel post is the typical style that Bennett used for a lot of their homes: Main Newel # 680
 |
| Photograph by Sarah Mullane |
 |
| Main newel post #680 which was included in multiple years of The Bennett Bargsin Book, their millwork catalog. The image is taken from Catalog# 35, copyright 1926. |
 |
| Base of the staircase. Good millwork match. Photo by Sarah Mullane. |
 |
From The Bennett Bargain Book Catalog No. 35 (1926)
|
The front hall looking into the vestibule to the front door:
 |
| French door to the vestibule with closet to the left. Photo by Sarah Mullane. |
 |
| French design front door. Look at that perfect half circle window. Photo by Sarah Mullane. |
 |
From The Bennett Bargain Book Catalog No. 35 (1926)
|
Last but not least, let's take a look at the garage, which in my opinion is a Bennett "Hudson" model.
 |
| View of the garage from the rear bedroom. Photo by Sarah Mullane. |
I've been noticing the garages a lot more now. I am very much more aware of them now as their own designs and structures.
All in all, the Drexel is a very cute, not too small house of a nice design. Plenty of room and 100 Claremont Avenue in Tonawanda, NY is a very nice example.
There are two, possibly three other Drexels on Winston St which is a few blocks away. The weather was just too bad for me to stop.
No comments:
Post a Comment