Published Friday, July 19, 2002
MERCER
Herald Staff Writer
When they decided to purchase their Georgian Colonial home, Jerry and Lucille Carlson of Mercer didn't think twice about it.
"We were looking for a house suitable for a bed and breakfast. When my husband and I saw it we thought it was the best suitable for this type of business," Mrs. Carlson said.
The house, Mehard Manor, 146 North Pitt St., Mercer, is one of several historical architectural structures featured in the Victorian Weekend house tour Sunday in Mercer. The tour, which is sponsored by the Mercer Area Chamber of Commerce, celebrates Mercer's heritage, offering a glimpse of the Victorian era through a showcase of five homes and a church.
Each landmark has a historical or architectural distinction and will feature wedding gowns worn by homeowners on their wedding day to heighten the Victorian feel.
Mehard Manor Bed and Breakfast was built by Judge Samuel S. Mehard, who served as president judge of the Mercer County Common Pleas Court from 1883 to 1895. The Carlsons purchased the large house in December 1994, did extensive renovations and opened for business in August 1995.
The bed and breakfast is filled with international artifacts and memorabilia, giving it a museum feel. It has four second-floor guest rooms, each decorated with memorabilia from Sweden, England, the Victorian era or Williamsburg. Glass doorknobs, antiques and period pieces work to furnish each room.
"We try to collect things that will enhance the room," Mrs. Carlson said.
The house also features a kitchen, library, living room, a sitting room and a solarium, which leads to a large patio behind the house. A manually-operated dumbwaiter connects the first and second floors. Mrs. Carlson said the 16-room house has 53-windows.
"You can just imagine cleaning the windows," she said.
The Adam-styleGeorgian Colonial architecture is believed to be inspired by the Craigie House, the home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in Cambridge, Mass.
Rich crown moldings and molded plaster ceilings decorate the entry way, living room and library. There's also the red carpet and red velvety wall paper that the Carlsons kept despite renovations.
"Oftentimes, big houses are cold, but this house is warm and comfy. In a bed and breakfast, you want to create an ambiance for the place," Mrs. Carlson said.
For nearly eight years the Carlsons have been the caretakers for Mehard Manor, which is quite different from the Shannon House of 305 Greenville Avenue, Mercer. The Shannon House is a yellow brick Victorian house built in 1909 by James Willis Ayers, who was president of Reznor, a Mercer company.
When homeowners Glenn and Ruth Shannon stepped into their house for the first time in 1984, they said "a cool breeze crossed the front porch" and "they felt at home."
The house features a double living room, dining room, kitchen, sun porch, perennial gardens, three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms.
Mrs. Shannon said she can't decide which room she fancies most. "I like them all," she said.
Years ago, the Shannons decided to relocate their candy shop, Shannon's Homemade Candies to Mercer from their hometown of Jackson Center.
"We also wanted to move physically," she said. "This house came on the market and it was just ideal."
Mrs. Shannon said it was a perfect buy because the house was within walking distance from the candy shop.
Many of the rooms have been renovated, giving them a Victorian presence. Some walls have floral wallpaper -- a distinct mark of the Victorian era -- and all of the walls have been refinished.
She said she and family members did much of the home's renovating and decorating, and refused to get a decorator.
"It's an unusual house and we've had fun with it," Mrs. Shannon said.
The dining room flaunts memorabilia from Greece and Turkey, and features an iris vase that Mrs. Shannon's aunt painted in 1917. The grandfather clock in the front entry way is a stand-out accessory that chimes each quarter of the hour. Other stand-outs are Mrs. Shannon's wedding gown and "going away" outfit from 1952 and a toilet from 1850, which offers a sobering reminder of what indoor plumbing meant in the olden days.
One of the bedrooms is an 1850 period bedroom the Shannon's refer to as the "angel room," due to its angel theme. The bedroom set is from the 1850s and has a marble-topped dresser. The dresser top was hand-carved by Mrs. Shannon's brother-in-law as a replacement fit for its missing top.
The kitchen doesn't date as far back. It was added on to the home in 1939 and has since been updated. Mrs. Shannon said the stainless steel counters and sink are an unusual feature for this day and age, but are making a comeback. The cabinets are faux-painted with an antique blue. Above them are wooden valances -- which were hand-painted by Debbie Plant of the Mercer Area Chamber of Commerce -- depicting various Mercer scenes.
The tour runs from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $7 and are available Saturday at the Victorian Weekend Information Booth on the Courthouse Square and the Mercer Area Chamber of Commerce, 132 S. Pitt St. and Sunday only at the Chamber office. Tickets can also be purchased before the tour at the Mercer Mercantile and Soda Shoppe, 108 N. Pitt St., Mercer and Mercer Area Library, 143 N. Pitt St., Mercer.