The property was purchased by Denison from Mr. and Mrs. Charles Carroll on January 1, 1870 for $1,000 and the deed was recorded on January 10, 1870. Construction of the home began shortly thereafter.
In 1922 Edward Denison sold the home to Henry and Idella Brayfield, since 1922 there have been several owners.
According to Mildred Rainey, around 1928, Jerome and Martha Kimmel occupied the home. The home was variously occupied by the Hudgens family, the Crain family and the Jimmy Johnson family.
In 1941 Attorney Walker Swartz of Carbondale bought the house and he had Charles Rainey remodel it. Charles Rainey lived next door and was the father of Mildred Rainey.
The Polishuk family occupied the home from July 1941 to December 26, 1941.
Dr. Vallier and family moved into the home in February 1942 and moved to San Diego, California on November 11, 1942.
In April of 1945, Oscar and Lizzie Turnage bought the property. The Turnage family also ran the Savage Hatchery on East Union St. After Mr. Turnage passed away in March of 1955, Lizzie continued to live there and she rented out rooms for Income. They owned the home for 26 years.
Lizzie Turnage sold the property to Larry Clayton, who owned Larry’s House of Cakes, in 1971 for $18,000.
Larry Clayton sold the home in July 1974 to Jim Conley for $26,000. The Conley’s sold the home on July 29, 1978 to Jerry Allen for $30,700 and moved to Nashville, Tennessee.
Allen sold the home in the fall of 1982 to Jeffery Barter who was affiliated with the House of Color (orginally Wayne Green Paint and Wallpaper store), it was added on to and remodeled again. Barter financed the home through the SBA and People’s Bank and when he posted a “for sale” sign in the yard they foreclosed on it. The bank was then asking $130,000 for the home.
In the spring of 1985 or 1986 Hoover and Lavelle Armstrong bought the property and opened up The “Wedding Works”, which was operated by Mrs. Armstrong. The business sold and rented wedding dresses and tuxedos. On February 10, 1988 the business was sold to a couple from Johnston City but the Armstrong’s remained in the home
On January 10, 1994 Louise (Hood) Couch bought the property from Mrs. Armstrong to live there and opened up “Louise’s Court Street Manor”, which was a rooming or retirement home for the elderly or anyone unable to live alone. Louise had worked at the Marion Memorial Hospital for 16 ½ years.
Mrs. Couch was able to care for several clients, one of which was her mother. They all had private rooms. She provided room, board, laundry service and lots of TLC. When her youngest son, Rex Couch, moved back to Marion after 13 years out west, he assisted in the home and has done all the present remodeling.
The Manor was closed in 2007 and the home became Court Street Antiques on June 1, 2011. Court Street Antiques specialize in vintage, retro antiques and treasures, Fenton collection, Fostoria glass, vintage toys, original art, coins, jewelry and old bottles.
Court Street Antiques is still operated by Louise (Hood) Couch and her son Rex at this writing in July 2013.
Sam’s Notes: Marion street directories list this house before 1940 as 315 S. Court and after WWII it was listed as 313 S. Court Street.
According to directories, the house was occupied in 1907 by Terry C. Crain, and Jerome Kimmel occupied the home in 1922, 1927, 1928 and 1929. L.C. Phemister and Norman Burchell were in the home in 1939.
Louise (Hood) Couch’s father operated Hood’s photography studio.
(Notes from Louise Hood Couch and Mildred Rainey; compiled by Sam Lattuca on July 30, 2013)