Dr. M. J. Bisco, dentist and builder, purchased this Monticello property and constructed a one-family house on it in1931. Bisco and his speculatively built a number of West Side and South Side houses during this period, particularly in Park Hill on the South Side. The designs of Bisco’s houses are thought to have been inspired by sketches made by his. wife on their travels. This house did not find a buyer until 1937, when Mervin O. Rife, a production superintendent for Gulf 0il Company purchased it. The property stayed in the Rife family until 1964. This Period Revival house combines Mediterranean and Monterey features in an eclectic, successful design. Surmounted by a Mission tiled hipped roof, the block is clad in textured yellow-buff brick. The offset entry in a segmental arch is embellished with curved brick buttresses and wrought-iron lanterns, and is surmounted on the second floor by a cantilevered wood-framed balcony of Monterey style with a shed roof clad in tile. The house is in excellent condition, showing sensitive maintenance by the present owner.
