|
The original owner was Dr. J.W.
Newton, a prominent Ophthalmologist, who actually built it himself in 1944, (as well as
four other homes in the area) and is the person for whom the street is named. Since then
the home has been occupied by only two other families; Ivan & Irene Hesson, who owned
it from 1978 to 1997 and who did extensive remodeling and the current owners, Gabriel
& Patricia Starr, who have owned and lived in the home for the past five years. Dr. Newton was not only a prominent physician and eye surgeon, but apparently also had considerable other talents. Among them were a knowledge of architectural design and construction. With the able help of only his wife, he personally designed and constructed the 5,000 square foot multi-level, 5 bedroom, 3 bath home, (it has since been enlarged to 6,000 square feet, 8 bedrooms & 6 1/2 baths), no small feat considering it sits perched on a steep hill. As originally constructed, what now serves as the ground floor master bedroom suite originally served as a combination workshop and hobby shop for the good doctor. In addition to serving as his medical office for examining patients (and actually making the lenses himself in the next room), it also served at one time or another as an astronomy lab, (he built his own 16 inch reflector telescope), a musical museum with a vast and eclectic collection of rare instruments, as well as a photography studio, and an incredible model railroad set up. All this in addition to an in depth working knowledge of electronics, as well as a being a collector of all things interesting ranging from a cell-violin played by his uncle at President Lincoln’s inauguration to a human hair wreath created one hundred and fifty years ago by his great grandmother who spent a lifetime making it. We have included a link to a reprint of an article written by his son and published in 1973 for those who would like to learn more. |
|
|
|
