140 823 Samuels Avenue [NR/SAHD{NR)], Reilly-Lehane House, 1889; 1897; 1903; 1924. Constructed in 1889, this one-story wood frame residence has Eastlake detailing, including turned and scroll sawn brackets, on the front porch and front window hoods. According to a mechanics lien dated October 15, 1888, the house was built for J.J. Nunnelly by O.C. Herrinkind, who both drew the plans and served as the contractor. In May, 1890, Nunneley (probably without ever living in the house) moved to Tennessee and sold the residence to Martin Casey a local liquor and cigar dealer (see CBD-102). Casey, in turn, sold the house for $1.00 to his first cousin, Mrs. E.P. Reilly, a widow with one daughter and two sons. The Reilly family and its descendants occupied the home for 98 years. Mrs. Reilly’s daughter, Anne Elizabeth, married Jeremiah Lehane who worked for Martin Casey. Four of their children, daughters who never married, inherited the house from Mrs. Reilly’s son, Thomas E. Reilly, when he died in 1930. Dorothy Lehane, the last surviving sister, lived here until her death in 1988. Originally the house was a 3 room L-plan dwelling facing Samuels Avenue. Various additions were made to the house, including a room in 1897, a kitchen and dining room in 1903, and a screened kitchen porch and bathroom added about 1924. Although alterations have been made over the years, including the removal of some of the ornamental trim and replacement of the wooden front porch, the house still retains a significant amount of its Victorian character. The present owners are working to restore the house. It is potentially eligible for the National Register on an individual basis and is a contributor to the proposed Samuels Avenue National Register Historic District. It is part of the 1991 Multiple Property nomination.
