520 Tennessee Avenue Street View photo from Google Maps.
Five dates back to October 2007 show overgrown July 2011 through the most recent Street View.
Dr. Merchant Huxford House is a Greek Revial style built in the 1850s possibly with timbers still showing signs of whitewash from the last Fort Wayne built in 1815! Huxford was semi-retired when he built the house, dying in 1878. His property once included the land from what is now Lawton Park east to the St. Joseph River. He helped found the local Episcopal Church, the Allen County Agricultural Society and the Allen County Horticulture Society. See our 1852 Old Fort section.
ARCH, Inc. photos of the Dr. Merchant W. Huxford House "Greek Revival c. 1854 Support beams in the basement are believed to be timbers from the original fort and still show signs of old whitewash."
March 9, 2013Dr. Merchant W. Huxford House photo album on ARCH Facebook: Greek Revival c. 1854 Support beams in the basement are believed to be timbers from the original fort and still show signs of old whitewash.Greek Revival c. 1854 Support beams in the basement are believed to be timbers from the original fort and still show signs of old whitewash.
ARCH is happy to share the news that we received a $20,000 Commercial Facade Grant from the City of Fort Wayne - Municipal Government for exterior work at the Dr. Merchant Huxford House, 520 Tennessee Avenue.
The Huxford House is significant because it was constructed by Fort Wayne's first pharmacist and full-time mayor. It contains timbers reclaimed from the original Fort Wayne structure.
The Commercial Facade Grant Program has been very successful. Since 2009, nearly $1 million in public grants have brought about more than $3 million private investment, mainly in older buildings.
Other 2014 grant recipients include the following:
The 1925 S. Calhoun Building, 1925 & 1927 S. Calhoun St.
The 2228 S. Calhoun Building, 2228 S. Calhoun St.
Anthony Wayne Village Shopping Center, 4301-4355 S. Anthony Blvd.
Coe Heating and Air Conditioning, Lower Huntington Road.
Broadway Joe’s, 2514 Broadway
Colony Shops of Waynedale, 6415-6441 Bluffton Road Curly’s Village Inn, 4205 Bluffton Rd.
“New to You” Building, 1542 Sherman Blvd.
Rialto Theater, 2614 S. Calhoun St.
Anthony Medical Building, 5717 S. Anthony Blvd.
TekVenture (former Allen County Sweeper Company), 1800 Broadway Waynedale News Building, 2505 Lower Huntington Rd.
Exterior rehab begins at the c. 1845 Dr. Merchant W. Huxford House. Demo of shed and bad addition, tuck pointing and masonry repair, new sills and lintels. Stay tuned for more throughout the next few weeks. Thanks to City of Fort Wayne, Indiana Landmarks [ September 13, 2013 post ] and individual donors who made this possible!!
The guys from Preston Allen Homes have been working hard at the Merchant Huxford house and have made a lot of progress!
Large, hand-hewn beams used during construction of the Dr. Merchant W. Huxford House reportedly may have come from the blockhouse of the last Fort Wayne, which was built in 1816 and demolished about the time the Huxford House was constructed.
ARCH has designed the interior for use by a small, nonprofit organization or for professional offices, he said.
The first floor will contain one large meeting space, a smaller meeting space and an office kitchen, he said. With the large room’s several big windows, the space will have an open, appealing feel.
The second floor will be remodeled to include two large offices and two small offices, he said. It also will have a full bathroom in case the home’s buyer wants to use the second floor for living space.
The attic area will be converted into a 20-foot-by-40-foot work space, Galbraith said.
ARCH has kept an eye on the building for 30 years, he said, including putting it at various times on the organization’s Endangered Structures list. So he doesn’t mind taking a little extra time to restore it properly.
The Dr. Merchant Huxford House is one of our favorite restoration stories here at ARCH! What are your favorites? Post your pictures in the comments below! #preservation#history#archfw#community
History suitable for use ARCH plans new life for 1854 home by Rosa Salter Rodriguez May 11, 2014 in The Journal Gazette newspaper.
The Fort Wayne City Council gave preliminary approval Tuesday night [July 15, 2014] to designating the historic Dr. Merchant W. Huxford House as a local historic district. Fort Wayne City Council gives preliminary approval to designating circa 1854 home as local historic district News-Sentinel staff reports was published July 16, 2014 in
The News-Sentinel newspaper.
Here are the results: Out of the 34 samples taken, White Oak was the most common wood in the house. Some of the tree ring samples dated back to 1544, but most dated to the 1700s. The newest rings on the samples dated back to 1790-1851. Unfortunately, the analysis couldn't conclusively confirm that the timber used in the Merchant Huxford House came from the old fort. But given the dates, it is possible.
