House tour gives granddaughter family insight

Feb. 6—CUMBERLAND — Phyllis Blair always wondered why her grandmother seemed spellbound while she leafed through house floor plans in the late 1940s.

More than 70 years later, Blair recently toured a grand Cumberland home and finally got some answers to her questions.

Blair, born in 1940 in Cumberland, was eight years old when she, her siblings, their mother and other family members moved into a tiny house owned by her grandparents, Joseph Habig and his wife Viola Cook Habig.

"My grandfather had lost everything and here he was taking us in," Blair said.

The Habigs had moved to southern Maryland after Joseph found work as a building inspector for the government at Naval Air Station Patuxent River.

But many years before that, the couple lived in a new, lavish, three-story house at 523 Cumberland St.

The architecture"My grandfather built that house," Blair said of the 1910 construction where the Habigs lived until 1922.

The house was deeded to the husband and wife.

"I found that interesting because at that time women had no rights," Blair said. "My grandfather loved my grandmother."

She also said her grandfather was a plumber and had a store in downtown Cumberland.

According to Maryland Historical Trust documents, Joseph Habig in 1913 also owned a building at 151 N. Centre St. in Cumberland.

The records show Wright Butler provided the plans for that building.

"A four-story, brick building, the Habig Building combines Butler's favorite commercial Romanesque style with the popular, bracketed shed-roofed building form," they state. "Familiar Butler details such as brick arches, stone quoins at the corners, and stone keystones appear in this 1913 building."

That structure housed Joseph Habig's business, which according to Western Maryland Historical Library records included "stoves, roofing and spouting."

The answersAs the economy headed for a breakdown, Joseph Habig lost his house in 1922.

"He was trying to keep the business going," Blair said. "He wasn't paying himself, he was paying his employees."

Due to more financial difficulties, Joseph Habig later lost his store building and business.

He and his wife went from being very wealthy, to having almost nothing.

"My grandmother told me that during the Depression she had two sets of clothes for each of her (seven) children and she'd wash one set for the next day," Blair said.

"They were moving from house to house in Cumberland because they couldn't pay the rent," Blair said and added her grandfather refused to listen to his wife and file for bankruptcy to save their property.

After the Habigs moved to southern Maryland, at one point they had nine people living in their tiny house.

"There was always a line for the bathroom," Blair said.

Blair would later realize her grandmother missed her former home in Cumberland.

"My grandmother was always collecting house plans from magazines," Blair said. "I never understood it."

After the Great Depression, Blair's grandmother was never the same.

"She was depressed," Blair said. "She wouldn't get out of bed."

The tourBlair, who lives in St. Mary's County, saw the Cumberland Street house for sale online, and called the listing agent, Ally Litten — broker at Mountainside Home Realty.

Litten and her six-month old daughter Sunny led Blair on her first tour of the house, which has many of its original features.

Litten also gave Blair some details she'd found while researching the house.

"(The Habigs) built this crown jewel and then they lost it," Litten said.

Litten described the house as "a west side gem."

There are "two sets of stairs going all the way to the third floor," Litten said. "It's a special house on Cumberland Street."

Joshua Greise, a Realtor at Carter & Roque Real Estate in Frostburg, and his wife, Autum Greise, owner of the The Strawberry Dog in Cumberland, bought the 523 Cumberland St. house.

Their property transaction was scheduled to close on Friday.

"My first impression was how well the house was restored while keeping the charm of a Victorian home," Joshua Greise said via email.

"I've always loved Victorian homes, so this is a dream come true," Autumn Greise said via email.

"It's obvious how much time and work has been put in to take this home back to its original condition and you can't beat the amazing views of the city from the third floor," she said.

"We are so excited and honored to have the chance to purchase such an amazing home," Autumn Greise said.

Family storiesBlair talked of the home's beautiful fireplaces, built-in cabinets, pocket doors and large closets.

"The house had everything," Blair said.

She recalled family stories about the house including when her mother fell from a second-story window on her 12th birthday.

"Something happened to her ear," Blair said. "I think that was caused by that fall."

Blair's voice trembled at times while she talked of the house her grandparents built, loved and lost.

"It's hard. It's really emotional," Blair said.

But she was glad to have experienced the house.

"I have figured out so much about my family," Blair said.

"I feel good that I went in the house. I understand my grandmother now," she said.

Teresa McMinn is a reporter for the Cumberland Times-News. She can be reached at 304-639-2371 or tmcminn@times-news.com.