McCluggage-Hart House; Hart House - 1914 13TH AV

 Print Listing Historical Name - Baird House
Style - Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals/Tudor Revival
Built Year - 1936
State ID - 5WL3535

Description - This Tudor style house is an L-shaped, one-story, brick house with a slate, steeply-pitched side-gable roof. Roof features include the steep pitch, the gable over the entrance and intersecting gable in the front and hipped roof wing in the rear. It has a concrete foundation and multi-colored brick exterior. The entrance is approximately centered on the front facade and is a wood door with a Tudor arch. Windows are six-light, casement and have metal frames, a row of soldier course bricks above and brick sills below. The brick chimneys are located on the south gable end and in the middle of the house. There is decorative brickwork on the exterior of the south chimney. Tudor style characteristic features on this house include the combined steeply pitched gable roof and the hipped roof in the rear, casement windows with mullions, slate roof tiles, textured exterior (in this case, using the different colors of bricks and brick sills and rows of soldier course bricks above the windows, rather than the use of stucco and/or half-timbering), use of brick exterior and the Tudor arch over the main entrance (also known as a flattened Gothic arch).

Historical Background - The house was built in 1936 or 1937 for Arthur C. and Rachel Baird, who were the original owners and who lived in the house until approximately 1944. Arthur Baird worked as a teller at First National Bank and his wife worked there for many years as well. They lived in Greeley for many years until they moved to Ventura, California after he retired. Rachel was a member of the United Methodist Church and of the Order of Eastern Star Greeley Chapter No. 3. The Bairds sold it to Lyle and Helen Perry in September of 1944. The Perrys lived in the house for a year and sold it to Arthur and Lucile Erickson in November 1945. Lyle and Helen Perry owned a Firestone store and later Perry Realty. The Erickson’s daughter and son-in-law, Margaret and Arthur Ewald, lived in the house for several years after the Ericksons purchased the house. The Ericksons lived in the house for several years as well before selling the house to Margaret and Arthur. The Ericksons came to Greeley in 1909 after marrying in Des Moines, Iowa in December 1908. Mrs. Erickson taught school, and they later purchased the P.O. Hansen Greenhouse in 1918 and changed the name to Erickson’s. Mrs. Erickson was the vice-president of the Erickson’s and Mr. Erickson was the president. They operated the florist shop until they retired in 1961 and moved to Phoenix. While living in Greeley both Arthur and Lucile Erickson were active in many organizations including the International Order of Odd Fellows, the Elks Club and Kiwanis Club and the Order of Eastern Star, Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Greeley Altrusa Club. Arthur Ewald worked at Erickson’s and operated the business after the Ericksons retired. When the Ericksons retired, they sold the house to Arthur and Margaret Ewald, who lived there for approximately a year before selling it. The Erickson’s frequently leased the basement apartment, including to Dr. Robert G. and Rosamond Busboom and prominent photographer Skeets Calvin. The Ewalds sold the house to Jim and Catherine Eichenberger, who lived in the house until 1980 when they sold it to Adolf and Edda Kohlhoff. Jim Eichenberger was the owner of Shamrock Service, a partner in Shamrock Truck Stop and president of Frontier Oil Inc. Catherine was a teacher and also a partner in Shamrock Truck Stop. Adolf and Edda Kohlhoff lived in the house for several years. Kohlhoff moved to the United States from Germany in 1956 and married Edda Priebe in 1959 in Greeley. Adolf started Kohlhoff Construction Company, a cement contracting business, which he owned from 1968 until 1980. He continued working in cement construction until retiring in 1995. Edda sold the house in 1991 to Benjamin Boyer and Kirsten Jacobson-Boyer who lived there for several years before selling it to Thomas Hart in 1998.