Inside the Pink House (Part 3): When Edwin Bradford Hall had his stunning Victorian house built in 1866 in Wellsville, NY (Allegany County), he made sure it was built six feet higher than the ground due to potential flooding concerns from the nearby Genesee River. E.B. Hall wanted a home both grand and inviting. The pharmacist apparently was enamored with the unconventional pink color after seeing a similar home in Lake Como, Italy. Hall would have the paint mixed at his legendary store in Wellsville.
The home consists of two adjoining parlor rooms, accessible upon entry through the cherry wood front doors. Weddings have been held in these rooms, funerals have taken place here as well. Fannie Hall was the only child of E.B. and Antoinette Hall, she married John Milton Carpenter in 1894 in the Blue Room (front parlor). Tragically, 13 years later their daughter—Beatrice Louise Carpenter—drowned at just two years of age. Beatrice fell into a small fountain in front of the Pink House, her wake was held in the same parlor room where her parents were wed. The amazing black and white photo here is from 1885, Mrs. Hall and her daughter, Fanny, sitting in the front parlor.
Five generations of family have lived here and maintained ownership of this treasure. Tomorrow as I conclude this phase of my documentation, I’ll show you some of the OTHER pink buildings on the property. And as noted the previous two days here, I’ve included a snowy, wintry image of the pink house in my upcoming 2022 New York Scenes Calendar. A large portion of our pre-order proceeds are going to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (participating NYS affiliates)—we have already raised close to $10,000. The pre-order link is right here: bit.ly/3vuTNQ7. I’ll sign each calendar, they will ship in early November. Watch tomorrow here for part 4 of Inside the Pink House.
Part III of John Kucko’s Pink House is brought to you by From the Hart on Main Street Wellsville
