Dusenbury Homes, Page 3 of 4
The Portville Historical and Preservation Society
17 Maple Avenue

www.portvillehistory.org
Portville, New York
Edgar G. Dusenbury, 1905
The Edgar G. Dusenbury Residence, 65 Maple Avenue
(The barn on the far left was on the property of Mr. Colwell, who owned a lot of real estate.  He rented most of
the homes on Colwell Street, which was named after him.  The barn and residence are still at #37 Maple Avenue.
The rooms above and below had elaborate fireplaces with carved mantles, decorative tile, and
shelves for displaying their fine collections.  The parlor, with its damask patterns and velvet fabrics,
Caroline Butler Dusebury, hangs above a lady's writing desk and the high ceilings were emphasized
with decorative borders and picture moulding.  The Dusenbury families collected many books and
displayed them in bookcases and shelving in most every room.
The Edgar G. Dusenbury Home, 49 Maple Avenue
Some of our older residents may remember this Dusenbury house (above), the one built by Edgar
G. and Eloise Fowler Dusenbury at 49 Maple Avenue.  It was a large Queen Ann style home with
beautifully appointed rooms as shown in the photographs below.  After Edgar and Eloise died, the
house went to their nephews, the sons of Edgar's brother William.  Duncan sold the home after the
deaths of his brothers, Edgar T. in 1937 and William A. in 1942.  The property was purchased by
house and barn. This area later became Sprague's Turkey Farm.  The house did not suit their taste
and it was disassembled, torn down, and replaced with a smaller, one-story house.  The barn was
converted into a home which is still there today.    
Edgar G. Dusenbury relaxes in his chair
The photograph above on the right was taken of Edgar G. Dusenbury, sitting in his chair in the
same room as the more detailed photo of this room below.
The Parlor