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Middletown’s historical homes can be found throughout the city

BY SAM SALMON, PRESIDENT OF THE MIDDLETOWN HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Middletown’s streets are graced with many historical homes that have stood the test of time. The houses are more than examples of beautiful architecture—they also offer insight into the past of the city.

JOSEPH DOTY HOUSE

The Joseph Doty House at 2209 Carolina St. in the Mayfield Neighborhood was built in 1824 and is currently one of the oldest houses on its original foundation in the Middletown City Limits. Joseph Doty, a farmer, was the son of Middletown’s first settler, Daniel Doty and was married to Mary Vail, who was the great granddaughter of Stephen Vail, who platted out the city of Middletown. Today, the owners of this property are the Cope family.

HOOK MANSION

The Hook Mansion at 7 Alameda Circle was the home of Charles Ruffin Hook and Leah Verity Hook. Leah was the daughter of ARMCO founder, George Verity. Situated in the Historic Highlands District, this home was built in 1914. Charles Hook was the second president of ARMCO and later the chairman of the board. He was also the founder of Junior Achievement and a civic leader of Middletown, establishing Boy Scout Camp Hook and later having his name bestowed on Middletown’s municipal airport. Today this house is owned by Mark and Wendy Booker.

GARDNER MANSION

Named the Gardner Mansion, after Colin Gardner who purchased the house and land in 1892, the house at 1 Gardner Place in the Lakeside Neighborhood was initially constructed in 1839 for Samuel Bonnell. Gardner remodeled and added to the original

John B. Tytus House

farmhouse, creating the impressive Greek Revivial structure that you see today. Gardner was also a prominent Middletown businessman, owned the Gardner Paper Company and served as the vice president of the Tytus Paper Company. Today, the home is owned by John and Jennifer Ridge.

JOHN B. TYTUS HOUSE

The John B. Tytus House at 300 South Main St. was constructed in the 1860s in what is now the South Main Street Historic District. John Tytus was a revolutionary in the steelmaking industry and invented a practical continuous steel-rolling process that changed the steel game. This house was built combining elements of the Romanesque and Tudor Revival styles. The house is both a U.S. National Historic Landmark and on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The current home is owned by Pamela Murphy.

VAIL HOUSE

Prior to being the home of the Knights of Columbus, this Oakland Historic District building was constructed as the homestead of the Hugh Vail family at 1402 First Ave. Hugh Vail, owner of the Vail Mills, was the son of Stephen Vail, who filed the charter for Middletown in 1802. The house transferred to the Knights of Columbus in 1919, when it was sold by the Crane family. In 2001, the property was transferred to Williams Edwards. The current future of the Hugh Vail homestead is uncertain as the site is being considered for redevelopment purposes. THE SHARTLE HOUSE

Built on North Broad Street around 1900, the Shartle House was the home of the Charles Shartle family. Shartle was an industrial leader in Middletown and founded both the Midldetown Machine Company and the Shartle Brothers Machine Company. In 2012, the Middletown Historical Society acquired the building and has established it as a museum. Called the Shartle House, the museum helps the society stay true to its mission of “Linking the Past to the Present for the Future.” The house is located at 120 North Verity Parkway in the Downtown Middletown District.

PHOTO CREDIT All pictures belong to the MidPointe Digital Archives, and are used with persmission from the Middletown Historical Society. n