Vintage Postcard: Kelley House 1945

Kelley House, Essex, NY, 1945 Essex — Vintage postcard: Kelley House, Essex, NY, 1945 (Source: Geo Davis via Rosslyn Redux)

Frequently we share a different historic image on the Essex on Lake Champlain Facebook page and invite our viewers to play some Vintage Essex Trivia.

This home on Essex’s Main Street was recognizable to many, and this postcard generated quite a few comments from the community. Here is a selection below:

Ellen Carson: Is Helen Morse’s house or Bub Albee’s house next to Warren Cross’s?

Susie Drinkwine: Sonny and Charlotte’s house. Good times there!!❤️❤️

Alta LaPine: what a nice home, remember it well-E

Kirsten Pope: Of course! My beloved Lapine neighbors between Grandma and Grandpa Morse’s and the Jackson’s! 🥰

Essex Supervisor Ken Hughes: Right across the street from my house on Main Street. Now owned by the Hutchins family.

Peter Cross: Oh yes the LaPines. Next to my Grandparent’s house.

Christine Tybush Benedict: I spent a good amount of time swinging on the porch with Sonny LaPine, having a cold beverage. Rick and I lived across the street. BC (before Christine) Rick lived next door to the north. Oh the simple times….

LeighAnn Lapine-Valachovic: Yes!! My papas house! I love it.. miss it also and so many memories.

Jeremy Keach: That was my grandfather’s house, great memories. Miss that front porch!!

Barbara Van Laten Page: LaPine house on Main Street

Cynthia Estus: And the Albee’s before that.

Tilly Close: Were the Morse House & LaPine houses that were ordered from a catalog originally? Our barn was.

The written message on the front says “Kelley House, 1945 at Essex, NY (sold)”. No one mentioned The Kelley’s but it appears that might have been a family that owned the home at one time? Though it could be referring to a first-name “Kelley.” Does anyone know?

See the back of the postcard below. The postage stamp reads Oct. 18, 1945. So this postcard was sent on that date, and the photograph on the front likely originates from that year or a bit previous.

Kelley House, Essex, NY, 1945 Essex (back) — Vintage postcard: Kelley House, Essex, NY, 1945 (back)

Do you have any thoughts to share about this? Please leave a comment below!

If you have any vintage Essex images or artifacts to share, please let us know!

About Katie Shepard

Passionate about reading and writing stories, Katie Shepard enjoys discovering more about her home while writing and editing for Essex on Lake Champlain. Katie graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2011 where she studied English literature, philosophy, and Asian studies. Her first book Essex, New York Architecture: A Doodler's Field Guide was published in 2015. Connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, or at Linked.in. Or email her at katie [@] essexeditions [dot] com.