Hannah Gray Home

This gothic revival style house was originally built for Albert Tilton, a gun maker, in 1876. In 1911, the Hannah Gray Home which housed underprivileged, elderly African American women relocated to this site. This organization founded by Hannah Gray has resided there since and continues to serve as residential care home for the underprivileged elderly. Despite 2 major renovations, in 1911 and in 2010, the house maintains its original architectural design that mixes aspects from gothic revival, second empire and victorian gothic styles. The blend of theses styles is best highlighted through the combination roof design and the front exterior of the home. The Hannah Gray Home aims to provide low income housing, supervised assistance, and supportive services to approximately 20 elderly individuals.

The home was originally built in 1876 for Albert Tilton, a gun maker and owner of Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Then in 1911 the Hannah Gray Home relocated to this site and has remained here. Since then, the home has had the capacity to house around 20 elderly individuals at a given time.

This 3-story Gothic Revival home is composed of wood and has many sets of glass bay windows surrounding the house which highlights the home’s blend of Victorian Gothic Style. At the front exterior, a viewer is drawn to the beautiful bay window on the first floor and a deeper inspection of the house reveals that there are 3 other sets of bay windows on each side of the house as well. The front left exterior of the house also displays some extended half windows which blends aspects of Gothic Revival and Victorian Gothic styles. One also sees a further blend of styles through the home’s roof. It appears as if half of the home’s roof follows a Gothic Revival style and the other half adheres to more of a Second Empire style roof. The Gothic Revival style is highlighted through the typical steeply pitched roof with the front facing gable. Along the sides of the house, the roof also has hip-like extensions that allows the home to continue its sharp pitched roof with gables along the sides. However, the Second Empire style of the roof is shown through the mansard roof shape of the tower that seems to protrude from the house. Due to the vertical shape of the lot, the home extends far back and is large than what meets the eye. Despite two renovations, the home has been able to maintain its same original style which blends different aspects of Gothic Revival, Victorian Gothic and Second Empire architecture.