THEN & NOW

Then – A Stately Neighborhood – Just a few blocks east of downtown Aberdeen, Frank Hagerty and William Lloyd platted the largest residential neighborhood to date. Well, the date was 1882, only a year after Aberdeen’s platting. This 106-block development was intended to be the place downtown business owners would reside, relax, and unwind. Aberdeen didn’t get municipal electricity until after 1910, so it is presumed that this image was taken on Kline and Fourth Avenue SE after that date. In fact, if you look at the boulevard trees, their size is no surprise considering that they were planted in 1882. They were over 20 years old by the time this picture was taken. This view is looking south down Kline Street South. The house on the corner is 402 S. Kline and was built in 1904 by Ralph L. Brown, owner of a loan and real estate company. Brown commissioned city engineer E. W. Van Meter to draw up the house, resembling a wood-clad Victorian home. Brown obtained a bunch of granite from Ortonville (as payment for a debt), veneered the house in it hoping others would follow suit. The next owner was Dr. Thomas Ranney, who used the house as his doctor’s office once he closed his downtown office. // — Photo provided by Garry Stepanek

Now — A Well-Loved Landmark – The late Don and Betty Artz owned the Brown home at 402 S. Kline after the Ranneys and kept it in tremendous shape. Eventually, Bill and Ev McQuillen purchased the house in 2003 when they relocated to Aberdeen. Bill has spent countless hours repairing windows, sills, soffits, and roof sections. When a crew was working across the street on the slate roofing tiles on the Presbyterian Church, they offered Bill some help with some of the Vermont slate tiles that had come loose on the house. The wrought iron fence is not original to the 1904 house, but is authentic. A couple of years ago, Bill heard a horrendous crash outside. Upon inspection he saw a massive section of the granite “moat” had collapsed and fallen over. I helped him number and photograph every piece of stone in the entire moat and a mason crew came in and rebuilt the whole thing. With Bill and Ev’s loving attention, hopefully it will stand another 100+ years. There is a two-stall “carriage house” in the alley. While it is very old, it is probably not original, despite the fact the Brown Brothers were the first people in Aberdeen to own an automobile. // —Troy McQuillen