Dusenbury Homes
Page 2 of 4
Page 2 of 4
When most of us think of the Dusenbury house,
we remember the dominating columns on the
front of the house, peering down the hill to the
riding grounds and flag pole from behind a grove
of trees.
As the photograph above shows, though,
compared to the original house (at left), that was
not the look of the house that Henry built.
we remember the dominating columns on the
front of the house, peering down the hill to the
riding grounds and flag pole from behind a grove
of trees.
As the photograph above shows, though,
compared to the original house (at left), that was
not the look of the house that Henry built.
| The Portville Historical and Preservation Society |
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| 17 Maple Avenue Portville, NY 14770 www.portvillehistory.org |
Portville, New York
| Dusenbury Home at 65 Temple St. prior to 1936 |
Donald M. Dusenbury Home, site of the Portville Garden Club's Benefit Tea in 1941
Aftermath of the fire
Anne rebuilds with Will Do Construction
Fire destroys the home in 1994, the front entrance (left) and side view (middle). Anne assesses the damage (right).
The Anne Dusenbury Residence, 65 Temple St., as it looks today in March 2008
Donald and Marie continued to live in the large home until their deaths in 1959 and 1958.
Naturally, their son, John E. Dusenbury, then became the new owner. John was an attorney,
living in Olean, New York, with his wife, Anne Loomis of Connecticut. They were married in
1950 and began their family of four children, Henry, Van, Peter and Kathy. They waited a few
years, but eventually followed the family tradition and moved into the house in 1962. John E.
Dusenbury died in 1988, leaving the home to Anne, his wife of 38 years.
Anne continued to reside in the home until the fateful day in February, 1994, when a smoldering
fire ignited within the walls and all but claimed this historic mansion and many of its irreplaceable
contents. Anne was not at home at the time of the fire, but thankfully, her caretaker, George
James, noticed the alarms and the heat and called it in to the Portville Fire Department. They were
on the scene within minutes and had backup from other area departments but the fire penetrated
into hard to reach places within the structure, making containment difficult, and it destroyed the
home.
February 16, 1994, was a sad day for Portville. Not only did we lose a beautiful and historic
landmark, but many family heirlooms, antiques, and memorabilia from the very beginning of
Portville were all lost because they were on the third floor, where the fire did the most damage.
Fortunately, not all of Anne's treasures were gone and many portraits, photographs, and furniture
was salvaged. In true Dusenbury spirit, Anne rebuilt her home and it stands tall, up on the hill,
just as majestic as the one before.
Naturally, their son, John E. Dusenbury, then became the new owner. John was an attorney,
living in Olean, New York, with his wife, Anne Loomis of Connecticut. They were married in
1950 and began their family of four children, Henry, Van, Peter and Kathy. They waited a few
years, but eventually followed the family tradition and moved into the house in 1962. John E.
Dusenbury died in 1988, leaving the home to Anne, his wife of 38 years.
Anne continued to reside in the home until the fateful day in February, 1994, when a smoldering
fire ignited within the walls and all but claimed this historic mansion and many of its irreplaceable
contents. Anne was not at home at the time of the fire, but thankfully, her caretaker, George
James, noticed the alarms and the heat and called it in to the Portville Fire Department. They were
on the scene within minutes and had backup from other area departments but the fire penetrated
into hard to reach places within the structure, making containment difficult, and it destroyed the
home.
February 16, 1994, was a sad day for Portville. Not only did we lose a beautiful and historic
landmark, but many family heirlooms, antiques, and memorabilia from the very beginning of
Portville were all lost because they were on the third floor, where the fire did the most damage.
Fortunately, not all of Anne's treasures were gone and many portraits, photographs, and furniture
was salvaged. In true Dusenbury spirit, Anne rebuilt her home and it stands tall, up on the hill,
just as majestic as the one before.
The Dusenbury Home, Portville's recent memory of it (1936-1994)
single-story forty-foot wing, located at the rear of the house for laundry and staffed kitchen, was
reduced by half its size. The most noticeable change, the characteristic we all think of, was the huge
portico with its twenty foot high columns.
It was a beautiful venue for the Garden Club Tea Party in 1941, attended by one hundred and fifty
guests, members of various Garden Clubs in the vicinity. The photograph below appeared in the
Olean Times-Herald on July 10, 1942, and shows the recent changes to the front of the home.
