| Riverbend Neighborhood Association: Our House |
22511 Alexandrine By Margaret Moon This home was built by my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Bennett Wallace in 1934. I was eight years old at the time. We had been living on the corner of Michigan and Howard where my father owned a lumber business. When we first moved in, we could see all the way to the Rouge River, as there was very little growth. The flats were a good place to play, as was the ball field on the north side of the street. I believe my father built a backstop for the ball field. Pheasants and bob white quail frequented the backyard. They are long gone. The original architectural plans called for a higher pitched roof. My father wanted it lowered to better fit in with the existing homes in the area, which is how it is today. The plans also called for a coal chute and coal bin, but oil was used from the beginning. The milk chute was also standard in those days. Early on my father planted three elm trees that all became victims of Dutch Elm disease in the middle 1970's. The row of pine trees along the back lot became misshapen by the Detroit Edison trimmers and some heavy wet snowfalls, and lost all of their shape that nature intended. The home remained in the family until sold in 1999. Home |
