Nine years ago — 2017 — was the last time the house on the hill on Ellis Avenue was lit up for Christmas, as owners John and Pat Hendel did for almost 30 straight years.
The article Ellis Avenue Lights Maplewood, from 2014, featured the house and others on the street. In 2017 the Hendels said they’d be moving — that was the last year for the lights.
That’s a wonderful picture. It’s a great looking home. I talked to one of the family members there once. The building once was closer to Manchester with the front yard bordering the same. It was moved a short distance up the hill to allow for the commercial development of the property. I have a dim memory of an old newspaper clipping describing the move. I’ll have to keep an eye out for that when I next visit our remodeled history room at the Maplewood Public Library. It is very nice and has been neatly organized by the talented Mary Katherine Poe, the librarian in charge. If you have an interest in the history of our town, you should definitely check it out.