The Swan House, on the corner of Main Street and Horicon Avenue, was originally built by Colonel Burhans for his son Frederick in 1850. Frederick lived there until the stone mansion on the hill behind what is now the town hall was completed in 1865. Patrick Ryan, arriving from Ireland in 1870, established a shoemaking business on the site and made boots for the lumbermen of the area as well as their children's shoes. While the Ryan family resided there, Catholic mass was said in the parlor for area Catholics, as there was no Catholic Church in Warrensburgh at that time. In the early 1920s Claude R. Swan and his wife, Margaret (Morrison) purchased the building and located their business, the Swan Insurance Agency there. It was in operation from around 1923 until 1959, during which time the building became known as the Swan House. The lower level, at 3734 Main Street, is a storefront shop which, for a time in the 1940s and '50s, housed Clarence ("Juicy") Bennett's Barber Shop. The Swans had a daughter Dorothy. Claude died in 1960, Margaret in 1982.
Bennett's Barber Shop was located on lower Main Street in the Swan House, opposite the Warren Inn (now George Henry's). It was operated by Clarence "Juicy" Bennett (1898-1951) and in operation as early as 1927. He sold the business to Ernest Manzer in 1929 and moved to Lake George. He returned before 1934 to run the business until his death in 1951. He married Edna Graves in 1927 and they had two sons, John and Thomas.
|
|
|
The Swan House by Marie Fisher
Opposite the Grand Army House (Warren Inn), stands on historic thee-story dwelling and business office. The gable end of the building faces Main Street with the business portion on the lower level and the front entrance to the residence facing Horicon Avenue. It was here that Patrick Ryan established his shoemaking business after coming here from Ireland in the 1870's. He specialized in kid boots and river-driver shoes, for where was great demand in those days of the booming lumber and pulp industry. During the days of occupancy by the Ryan family, Mass was said in the parlor of the house, prior to the erection of Saint Cecilia's Roman Catholic Church. It was here, also, that Frederick O. Burhans, son of Colonel Benjamin P. Burhans, lived until the completion of the Burhans mansion, in 1865. This home has long been in the Swan family. The present owner is Mrs. Claude. R. Swan. |
