Mona Hayford

Pitzer/Poland House

Pitzer/Poland House

526 W. Burke St. Martinsburg

The 500 block of W. Burke, originally referred to as “Abell’s Extension”, epitomizes the taste and character of the Victorian era at the turn of the century. The Pitzer/Poland house is no exception: a stately “American Foursquare” brick home built by John Abell for prominent prosecuting attorney, Ulysses Pitzer and his wife, Kate.

In 1912, business entrepreneur John R. Poland (founder of the Perfection Garment Factory) bought the house and lived there until his death in 1953. Mr. Poland with turned the single-family home into a 4-unit apartment dwelling around the time of WWII. At the same time, the original iron fence surrounding the property was removed & donated to the war effort. Only one newel post remains of the original fence. 

The home was purchased in 2017 by the current owners, who quickly began renovations to return the home to a single-family dwelling. They expended much time and effort to keep as many of the original architectural features as possible. All the glass transoms over the doors are original to the house built in 1896, and most of the interior & exterior door hardware is original. Many of the light switches are also original to the electric installation.

An in-ground pool built by the previous owner is of interest. The backyard was originally at a lower elevation, but during installation, the builder hit bedrock. Failed efforts to “blast” the rock away led to bringing in fill dirt to achieve the proper depth. Between 526 & the next door, properties have a difference of 4 feet in what used to be level ground. 

Shown by Olde Berkeley Garden Club

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