"Nellie Kirby and William Herbert "Bert" England" House, c. 1908
Georgian Revival with some Craftsman Influence
This house was built for Bert England and Nellie Kirby England by her father, John Kirby, as a wedding gift. The Kirbys were the original donors of the John and Mary E. Kirby Hospital, which was named in their honor, and the Englands became the chief benefactors of the hospital. Nellie served on the hospital's board of directors since it was first organized in 1939, and having no children, upon their death in 1950, her entire estate was bequeathed to the John and Mary E. Kirby Hospital. Bert England died in 1941 and Nellie lived in this home until her death.
This house features the Georgian Revival style with some Craftsman and Tudor influence; rectangular shape, two and a half story, with brick walls and side gable roof with overhanging open eaves. The center gable roof portico has two brick piers and there is vertical "half-timbering" in the gable tympanum, which is set on carved brackets. There is a slightly recessed gable roof two story sunroom to the south, the first story of which is wider than the second story. The half-timbered gables, wide eaves, dormers, sun porches, and carriage house all indicate Tudor influence. There is a ballroom in the basement and a walk-through tunnel that connects the house and the carriage barn.
The large one and a half story carriage barn (c. 1908) has three original double doors. The original furnace for the main house was located int he carriage barn with piping running through the tunnel to the house.