House with Long Memories

(The Harrington House, 188 North Park Av.., is being torn down and thus another of the handsome old houses of Warren disappears.
In the accompanying story, the house speaks reminiscently of some of those who have dwelt within its walls.)

Written by the HARRINGTON HOUSE

1860-1927

There are older houses in Warren than I am, but I must speak to you now if I am to be heard because in a very few days nothing but a memory will be left of me. Where I have stood for more than 60 years the new Y.W.C.A will rise in its dignity to be a blessing to many individuals and a great social asset to Warren, I hope.

I was built by Reuben S. Parks who was a partner in the mercantile firm of Parks & Wentz and many ladies bought beautiful goods for dresses from my first master. They made their own dresses or had seamstresses in for weeks at a time in those days, making new garments and fixing over old ones. If my master were still here and doing business today, I suppose he would be dealing in ready to wear costumes.

There was a time when I heard a great deal of conversation about wills and guardianships and other matters. That was when Judge Reeves, a probate judge, made his home inside my cool brick walls.

Mrs. Mark Ludt, who lives at 310 Porter Ave., can tell you a great deal more than I have time to about my next occupants. As a little girl she lived here with her paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Allison chew. Mr. Chow had a dry goods store where the Wm. Eby Company is now at the corner of Market St. and South Park Av. Their daughter Florence married John Leslie and I understand some of their children and grandchildren are doing business in the city today.

Mr. and Mrs. Chow loved me very much and when they decided to sell out and go to Mercer, Pa., to live they tried to sell me to Peter Kline of Girard. They thought it would be nice for Mr. and Mrs. Kline to come to Warren to live so the house would still be “home” to the same grandchildren, the Klines being Vinnie Chow’s (Mrs. Ludt’s) maternal grandparents For some reason which I never quite understood, this project never went thru and it was then that Mr. C. A. Harrington bought me and I have been known as the Harrington house ever since.

Many Memories.

I have so many memories dating from the middle eighties that I can’t begin to tell you about them in the little time that is left for me.

Many of these are of days that I myself did not know but with which I became familiar thru heating Mr. Harrington and the family talk about them.

My Mr. Harrington was a very distinguished man. He was a son of pioneer residents of Greene township, and lived on the home farm there until he was twenty-one. He went to school at the famous Grand River Institute at Austinburg, which I am pleased to learn, is still offering sound education to the young, and afterwards to the Oberlin college. He conducted a remarkably fine select school at Greene for sometime. Afterwards he studied law and practiced successfully here in Warren where Wm. T. Spear, later a Judge of the State Supreme Court, was his partner.

Mr. Harrington was a very public spirited citizen and was president of the Second National Bank for a long time before his death.

In 1893 he married for his second wife, Miss Sophia M. Smith and it was a happy day for us when this splendid woman came to live with us. She is visiting out in Port Townsend, Washington, now, but ids coming back to Warren, soon, one of my confidants told me today.

The only Harrington grandchild living in Warren is Mrs. F. W. Chapman (Priscilla Harrington). Beach Crest, North Tod Ave.. Her father was my Mr. Harrington’s son, the late Frank W. Harrington. Her mother, Mrs. Carrie P Harrington, lives on High St. in one of the older houses which I suppose will be telling its story some day.

Sad and glad are the memories of old houses but taking it all in all more of mine are happy than otherwise and I don’t want anybody to feel bad because I am passing from the scene. I have served my purpose and I go to make way for a larger home.