JOHN COMERFORD Died 1937 Born 1865 Original Owner of 115 South Sergeant Avenue Dutch Colonial, Circa 1902 T he John Comerford House should really be called the Annie Zelleken Comerford House. This Dutch Colonial property was a wedding gift from Edward Werner Zelleken and Margarethe Zelleken to their first born child, Annie Doretia Zelleken. I n 1891, at the time her parents were buying the land ($800) and planning the stately two story nine room residence, Annie Zelleken Frantz was already a widow with an infant son, Clarence. Subsequently, in 1894 she married John Comerford and they set up housekeeping and added another son, John Patrick Comerford to the family in 1901. John Comerford owned a plumbing supply business with his brother Thomas Comerford. But happiness for Annie was not to be. By 1915 she had relocated to the sunshine of California that only her Zelleken family wealth afforded her. Her husband, John followed her but returned to Joplin in 1916 as a single man.
Research has indicated that her sons at the same time, had her declared insane by the California Superior Court and she was committed to the Southern California State Hospital at Patton, California. And there she was to remain for 22 years until June of 1938 when she was released upon the decree that she had been restored to her right mind. Interestingly on the Joplin home front, her nephew Edward P. Dwyer was representing her sons in the sale of her property at 115 South Sergeant. However, her friend and neighbor, Mr. Frank Wallower interfered with the final disposition of the Jasper County Probate Court’s order and saved the property for Annie’s own disposition. She sold the property in 1941 to four sisters who used it for investment property. The house at 115 South Sergeant has since been the home to Haywood Scott, a local attorney and civic leader. It was also the home of Clifford “Clarence” Haynes who was Joplin Mayor 1958-1968.
Architecture
The two-story gable-front house has been sub-divided into apartments. It has a parged limestone foundation and an asphalt shingle roof. Aluminum siding capped with a carved wood band clads the first story; stucco clads the second story. Gambrel-roofed wings project from the north and south elevations. A brick chimney rises from the north slope of the ridge. A full-width flat roof porch spans the primary (west) elevation. It has wide brick piers with paired tapered wood columns. On the first story of this elevation, a single fully glazed wood door flanks each side of a paired window. A band of three windows pierces the
center of the second story. All windows are historic one-over-one double-hung wood windows. A historic photo shows this house originally had a prominent gambrel roof with shed dormers, wood siding and shingle cladding, and a balcony over the porch. The alteration of the roofline, cladding and balcony have compromised the integrity of the house, rendering it non-contributing to the District.
A one-story two-car garage is located at the rear of the property. It has concrete masonry unit walls and a front-gable asphalt shingle roof. Wood shingles clad the gable end. Two replacement vinyl overhead doors access the garage on the primary (east) elevation. Constructed within the period of significance, the garage retains integrity, rendering it contributing to the District.
Helena Apartment House and Dance & Music Studio