82 North Pearl Street

April 2007

One of the first houses to be built on North Pearl Street, until recently, was also one of the most unattractive.  Within the last two years, the current owners have restored the house from a rooming house, reclaiming the glorious past of the 5,000 square foot manse.  Originally constructed as a large single-family house, it was divided up into a rooming house and its architectural detailing covered with asphalt shingles from the mid-20^th century.

The new owners have celebrated the architecture of the building by painting it in vibrant colors found in West Coast Victorian homes.  One of the architectural features of the home is the pagoda-like roof of the second story bay window.  The steeply pitched gable is highlighted by its decorated bargeboard that runs along the gable.

This house was likely built for Charles Daniels, an attorney and later State Supreme Court judge, who was living here by early 1854.  It was designed in the Italianate style.  In 1887 Rachel Manchester had the home remodeled and enlarged in the then-current Queen Anne style.  Converted to a rooming house in 1927, it was recently returned back to single-family occupancy.

The inside of the house retains its 1853 staircase newel post and Greek Revival moldings leading to the dining room.  Inside the dining room, notice the inlaid floors stained in alternating light and dark colors.  The large double parlor room is segmented by a large plaster arch with detailed keystone.  The bay sunroom on the first floor is a wonderful addition to the house from the 1880s.  On the second floor, the house still retains its 1853 doors with paired arched moldings.  The owner, a floral designer and decorator with businesses in Buffalo and Atlanta is using the home as his canvas for his incredible decorating talents.