Document text
Ashland�s historic Beach/Good House moves Mail Tribune / Andrew Mariman Crew members of Doc�s House Moving keep a close eye on the 106-year-old Beach/Good House as they inch the structure from its old location Sunday morning beside Trinity Episcopal Church to its new resting place on Laurel Street in Ashland. Jim and Cheryl Lewis, who bought the house, specialize in restoring historic homes. By SHARI DOWNHILL In the murky morning fog, the Trinity Episcopal Church bells rang out early Sunday, heralding the cross-town trek of one of Ashland�s grand architectural ladies. The historic Beach/Good House was lifted from her 106-year-old resting place and transported about seven blocks to a new home on Laurel Street on the back of "Doc" Chaplin�s moving truck. Built in 1895, and now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Beach/Good House was situated on property owned by the Trinity Episcopal Church on the corner of Lithia Way and Second Street. The Queen-Anne-style house was purchased in January by Ashland restoration contractors Jim and Cheryl Lewis, veterans at moving and reviving historic gems. "This was a big day for us," Lewis said after the move. "We�re celebrating now, but we still have lots of work to do." Workers from Doc�s House Moving Inc. started moving the 800-square-foot home at about 6:30 a.m., said Suzanne Lang, senior warden at Trinity. "It was so ethereal-looking with the fog and the house just floating down the street," Lang said. Ashland police closed Lithia Way to accommodate the move, attended by about 25 onlookers. The Beach/Good House was built by Baldwin Beach, a prominent Ashland contractor. Beach sold the property to David and Nettie Good in 1905. David Good was a liveryman from Canada who worked as both Ashland�s chief of police and Fire Department chief. In 1948, the home came under the ownership of Wilbur and Doris Morgan, who operated Ashland Refrigeration Service. The Morgans deeded the home to Trinity Episcopal Church in the mid-1990s. Doris Morgan remained in the home until she died four years ago. Trinity sold the Beach/Good House for $1 in 1999 to Jim Niebel. Niebel also purchased the property on Laurel Street, intending to move and restore the historic building. But he transferred ownership of the house back to the church in 2000, and sold the Laurel Street lot to Lewis. Church leaders decided to remove the Beach/Good House to make way for a church expansion project, Lang said. Because of the historic designation, Trinity was unable to make use of the building, she added. With the house in its new resting place, a church task force has set to work finalizing expansion plans, Lang said. "We�d like to put another building on that area, like an educational parish hall," she said. The church completed an administrative office addition in 1999. Jim and Cheryl Lewis make their living rehabilitating historic buildings. They now live in a finished project house situated on A Street in Ashland. The couple originally moved the home from the corner of Lithia Way and Pioneer in 1990. They also moved the old Ashland Depot to the same A Street property in 1991. The depot is now home to a commercial computer programming tenant. Formerly a member of Ashland�s Historic Commission, Lewis said he plans to either occupy or rent the Beach/Good House after the rehabilitation is complete. "We just thought this would be a great project for us," Lewis said. "We like historic homes. We just tend to gravitate toward them." Lewis has been restoring homes, a niche he�s found in the construction field, since 1980. He said rehabilitation plans include adding about 600 square feet to the back of the house, installing modern amenities inside and restoring the front of the building to its original design. Reach reporter Shari Downhill at 776-4463, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.