In 1932 this home was vacant and so dilapidated that the neighbors petitioned the city to have it torn down. The real estate company reduced the price of the home $25.00 per week until it was sold. Thomas and Delia Montgomery bought it for $1,475.00 and Tom, a skilled carpenter from Ireland, immediately began remodeling. In the words of Delia, “The old place was deplorable and dirty, but Tom with his carpenter tools, me and my broom, scrubbing brush, soap and water, and the older children, whom I kept busy carrying out dirt and trash, worked together and the house began to look better.” They moved in with their five children in March, 1932.
The Montgomery family referred to their home as “Old 59” and loved it for its convenient location to public schools, the University, town and church. Their beautiful home saw many years of entertaining – birthday parties, Thanksgiving dinners, family Christmas parties, wedding receptions for the Montgomery girls, and church fundraisers.
Many changes were made during the more than 50 years that the Montgomery family owned the home. The wood work, bay windows, corner cupboard in the kitchen, stairway, red roof, picket fence, arched gate, room additions, and the shelves and closet area in the master bedroom (which Delia named “the pipe organ”) were all lovingly crafted by Tom in his workshop out back.
The mention of the selling “Old 59” always brought strong protests from the Montgomery children and grandchildren. But in 1984, a year before Delia died and a year after Tom passed away, Holy Cross Hospital bought the home and allowed Delia to live in it until she passed away a year later.
The Montgomery family is pleased that the home is now the Cancer Wellness House and they know that it will continue to provide love, support, comfort, and shelter to other families, as it did to their family for over 50 years.
