While the address for this home is 3102 Glenwood Park Avenue, the home itself is merely visible from Glenwood Park Ave, perched up on the bluff, surrounded by woods, it is in one of the most unique spots in the city. It is actually more accessible from Kellogg Street, rounding out the dead end street there. The house was built in a Spanish Colonial style, retaining its original windows, wood eaves, and stucco exterior.
The permit for the building at 3102 Glenwood Park Avenue was issued to S.E. Ehler (Sarah E. Hawkey Ehler) on September 16, 1912 and was the 13,000th building permit issued within the City of Erie. It is interesting that the permit was issued to Sarah and not her husband, Carl, and the reason for that is unknown. Sarah’s father was an engineer in Salamanca NY and his parents immigrated to the area from England. Sarah grew up in Chautauqua NY and married her husband, Carl, in 1894. Carl was a traveling salesman. They lived in the home from approximately 1913 until Carl’s death in 1924.
At that point, the home was purchased by Ralph Wellington Benedict and his wife Beatrice. They had one child, Jeanne. Ralph was a Real Estate agent and ran his business out of the home at 3102 Glenwood Park Ave. The couple divorced shortly after moving into the home and Beatrice remained there until 1971, while Ralph moved to 609 W 10th Street and remarried. Beatrice remarried Robert J. Miller, who was a contractor and also ran his business from the home.
Beatrice lived in the home from 1924 until 1971, for 47 years, and in that time, she did her best to make it truly unique and her own. There were two different articles in the newspaper simply about the home’s character and design, while she was residing there. One that goes into great depth about how it was decorated in an “oriental” (sic) style, and all about her collection of antique jugs she kept in a “jug room” in the basement.
There was also another blurb about the home from an op ed reporter who happened to be wandering around and basically trespassed on Mrs. Miller’s property, although he did note the unique landscape and difficulty of getting to the property. This is from the Erie Times News February 9th, 1959. As you can see from the photo, at one point there were steps leading from Glenwood Park Avenue up to the property, which was much more visible then (and in the winter) than it is today.
Beatrice lived until 1984 (to the age of 87) but ceased living in the home in 1971, when the property was sold to David Green who was an advertising manager at Union Bank. The remaining recent history is available from the historical card on the tax assessment website and includes Robert and Carol Brotherson in 1977 and Nanci Haibach in 2002.
The home recently sold to an owner who is dedicated to preserving and restoring the original character of the home. Below are some of the photographs from the most recent real estate listing.
olderieonfoot.com 