10 Orton Place

April 2007

This large Queen Anne style corner house bordering Hudson Street and Orton Place is interesting because of its slate roof, turret and use of varied exterior surface styles.

Fishscale shingles add interesting respite from the predominantly horizontal lines of the clapboard siding. The exterior of this house has been recently rehabilitated prior to this writing. The Allentown Association provides this architectural critique: “a notable Queen Anne structure built in 1888 retains all of its original features although it was covered with asphalt shingling in the 1950s. A three-storey round tower, topped by a semi-round hip roof, stands next to a second-story porch covered by the main gable roof. The pedimented gable end at the front houses a polygonal Palladian-style shallow oriel. A second-storey tower is covered by a witch’s cap topped by a crocket. The tower rides the wrap-around porch supported by square posts.”

The home was first built for J. P. Trible and Walter Trible who were fish dealers. The Trible’s lived in this house only a short time and later moved to 297 Delaware Avenue. The Trible family sold this home to Hattie Haven to use as a beautiful boarding facility until her scandal rocked her management of the home (see the description of 5 Orton Place for more details).

In 1896-1897 10 Orton Place was the home of Charles Rohlfs and his wife, Anna Katharine Green. Charles was an actor and furniture designer and Anna was an established novelist who is credited with originating the detective genre. It was during the time at 10 Orton when Charles’ made the career shift from actor to full-time furniture designer in the arts and crafts style. His furniture is widely collected today. By 1900 10 Orton Place continued to be used as a boarding house.

Mary A Witherspoon [formerly Caligiuri] recalls: “My father purchased the house at 330 Hudson in 1938 from a Mr. Ricotta. My first impression as a girl of fourteen was awe. The high ceilings, hardwood floors, marble fireplaces and a working telephone were just beautiful. The house consisted of an upper and lower flat. In the attic we discovered a trunk full of handwritten music from a Dr. Werner who was an earlier owner of the house. We donated it to the Grovesner Library. We would walk to Holy Cross church and shop at the Columbia market. I remember my mother picking out live chickens from the market on Pennsylvania between Niagara & Prospect. The grocery store at West and Hudson was owned by Sam Gino.The store at Hudson and Cottage was owned by Mr. & Mrs. Chemali and later by Mr. & Mrs. Thomas.On Saturday we would go to the matinee at the Allendale theater for a nickel. We could board the street car on West Ave and go downtown for three cents. Our neighbors at 336 Hudson was Mr. & Mrs. Carol Douglas. When I married in 1953 my husband and I moved into the remodeled upper flat. I remember the houses on the east side of the street being demolished in the early sixties to make room for a playground where my children later rode their bikes.The house was sold for approximately $8000 in 1969 when my widowed mother became to old to live on her own. I was recently were given a tour by the new owners of the house and was amazed at what they uncovered and all the work they were doing.I am looking forward to seeing the completion and restoration of this grand old home which holds lots of happy memories.”