The House at 17 Central Street

Unfortunately, I have not located a photo of the house. First of all, let me say that the house was more than just a house. It was an edifice. The concrete walkway from the sidewalk to the left front of the house was probably twenty or thirty feet long and a least ten or so feet wide. Two steps led up to a small landing facing two huge doors each of which had long frosted glass windows. Each door had a cut glass door knob and there was a glass knob which when pulled out sounded chimes that could readily be heard within.
To the right of the person or persons facing the doors was a long wooden porch bordered by a wooden railing. Off that porch was a door leading to the living room on the first floor.
This magnificent house consisted of a full cellar and three floors above.......truly impressive to say the least.
Once inside the home it became obvious that it was not built to have apartments. Upon entering the house via the two heavy doors you were faced with a hallway and a stairway on the left side having a mahogany type banister that led to the second floor. On the right, the hallway had one or two doors and to the left at the end of the hallway a door to the cellar. A big grandfather clock with a swinging pendulum stood at the end of the hallway.
To the right at the head of the stairway was the entryway to the kitchen. Beyond that there was a small hallway off which there was a relatively narrow stairway leading to the third floor. Also, there was a steep, narrow stairway going from the second floor to the first floor. All stairways ran in the same direction, i.e., north to south. At the north end of this small hallway there was a door on the left that opened to a small landing with steps running east & west going from the second floor to to the rear yard.
To me, the house with its many stairways, rooms and halls was a mysterious and intriguing home away from home.
I was told that the entire property consisting of the main house, two smaller houses just to the west, a two car garage to the east and a huge tract of land was purchased by my grandfather, Thomas' family from the French parish and that the main house had been a convent and possibly had some offices.
The nuns taught at a parish school in the back of St. Joseph's church on Central Street opposite Jackson Street.
I will leave the matter of the church and school to further posts on this blog.