Public invited to tour former Burton home
Curious viewers have been wanting to see inside the lovely old brick home on Peabody's Walnut Street since the deaths of longtime residents, Willard and Margaret Jewell.
Helen Storbeck of Winfield inherited the house and will open the house as a benefit for the Peabody Historical Society.
The Peabody Gazette of January 1921, gave glowing reports of "this magnificent structure where money was not spared but everything is homey from the cellar to the attic."
Scott Brothers Construction Company of Topeka was busy in Peabody during the prime oil boom time of the 1920s. The Burton house, Methodist church, and Peabody State Bank were among the prominent projects. Walnut Street became known as Millionaire's Row due to the large number of lovely homes built in an era when fortunes were made, and sometimes lost.
"The front porch of the Burton house is floored with tile at the cost of about $1,300. Entering the house by the front door one is struck with the beautiful fireplace in the large living room. The house has beamed ceilings and every modern convenience. The bathroom upstairs is a thing of art with tiled floors and tiled walls. It has a separate dental room! (now incorporated with the bathroom). Even the garage is fitted with steam heat and will hold three cars. Just now Mr. Burton has his Marmon sedan and Marmon sporting model roadster housed there." The garage has an apartment built above it for the servants' quarters and will be open to the public during the tour.
Alvin and Bessie Burton shared their wealth by giving large sums to Southwestern College at Winfield, the Burton Nurse's Home at then Wesley Hospital in Wichita, and the chapel at Youthville in Newton. The Methodist church in Peabody often benefited from their gifts. A second large brick house was built just north of the Burton house as a home for Bessie's parents, the Guinns. Guinn was an early-day Rock Island Railroad depot agent.
The Burton home will be open from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Members of Peabody Historical Society will be on hand in the many rooms to give the appropriate history. Refreshments will be served. A tax-deductible donation will be asked at the door. All proceeds go to the historical society's efforts to maintain Peabody's history.
The house is located at 502 N. Walnut. Walnut is Peabody's Main Street running north and south. There is no parking on Walnut so be sure to park on a side street and come to the front door, which faces Walnut (west).
