ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, March 13, 1997 TAG: 9703140071
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: N-12 EDITION: METRO
MEMORIES of Roanoke's oldest homes have inspired two people to make permanent records of a part of Roanoke's history
Judy Baumgardner, daughter of Chester Markley, and Samuel Lenaeus, his grandson, have devoted much time and energy to projects related to the history of 1112 Second St. S.W., known as the Markley House. Their former residence, which now houses Excel Prosthetics and Orthotics, has been replicated in miniature by Lenaeus and its history recorded in a well-documented scrapbook by Baumgardner.
"Growing up in that old house was a treat, a privilege and wonderful fun," Baumgardner recalled. "All its nooks and crannies made great places to hide when my twin sister, my younger brother and I used to play hide and seek on rainy days."
Baumgardner has spent innumerable hours in the Roanoke and Salem courthouses, the library and the Roanoke Valley Historical Museum collecting information and pictures concerning the house's history. She traced the deeds, picking up interesting bits of information about the owners before her grandmother, Mollie A. Markley, purchased the house in 1906.
"Much of the history I had heard from stories handed down in the family," she said. "I wanted to document as much as possible with court records, newspaper clippings and such. "
Her work is neatly collected and contains copies of the documents she has located as well as copies of pictures from her family history.
Baumgardner's written record is complemented by her nephew's model. Samuel Lenaeus is the son of her twin sister, Susan.
Lenaeus, who lives in Atlanta, began work on a model of the house more than 15 years ago. He constructed the house, in as much detail as he could remember - including the furnishings. It is now essentially complete -electrify theadd electric porch lights.
The building is constructed in three pieces, allowing the interior to be seen, complete with corner cupboards containing replicas of his grandmother's china and rugs he made in petit point.
"It's amazing the accuracy he has achieved," Baumgardner said. "And to think he works with computers, and not architecture or design. "
In August 1987, after nine years of work, Lenaeus took the model to a family reunion at the Peaks of Otter, held on the 100th anniversary of his grandfather's birth. In October of the same year, his model won two prizes in a Georgia dollhouse show. The model was also on display at a Roanoke dollhouse show during the 1996 Christmas season.
Built in 1892 in Queen Anne style, the Markley house is thought to have been designed by George T. Pearson of Philadelphia, architect of the original Hotel Roanoke. It is also believed the house was built as a residence for George F. Tyler of Philadelphia, the first president of the Norfolk and Western Railway, although it was never used by him. He resigned after two years, due to poor health, and his successor, F.J. Kimball, never came to Roanoke as a resident.
A chemist, William A. Glasgow, bought the house in 1897, then sold it in 1904 to Dr. Frederick Lefew, who lived there only two weeks before he was fatally stabbed by Charles Fishburn. His widow later sold the house to Baumgardner's mother, Mollie A. Markley. She and her husband Christopher lived there until their deaths in 1931. Samuel Chester, their only son and father of Baumgardner and grandfather of Lenaeus, bought the shares of his five sisters, and raised a family of seven children there.
The house was in the Markley family for 72 years until it was sold in 1978, one year after Baumgardner's mother died.
Baumgardner recalled a bad fire during the 1960s that might have destroyed the house, but a draft pulled the kitchen door shut and prevented the flames from rising to the upper two stories.
"My parents moved to an apartment across the street while the water damage was repaired. They had to redo the oak floors," she recalled. "Every day my father would go across the street and sit in his chair to read the paper. "
During the years the Markleys lived at 1112 Second St., they helped to write much of Roanoke's history. Chester Markley's father, Christopher, who owned a construction company, was responsible for building the YMCA on the corner of Second Street and Church Avenue. His firm built the original NW office building and the incline railway to the top of Mill Mountain. With his son Chester as a junior partner, they helped design and build water works, sewers, dams and bridges.
LENGTH: Medium: 86 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: 1. Samuel Lenaeus with a model he constructed of theby CNBMarkley house. 2. The old Markley house at 1112 Second St. S.W.,
Roanoke.