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Saturday, April 02, 2011

HISTORICAL COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER


Becky Lee Tourist Home

The era before a large number of motels dotted our highways saw a number of larger homes turned into “tourist homes”. Before the Salisbury Boulevard was built in 1939, Route 13 ran from N. Division St. to Camden Ave. through Salisbury (or from Camden Ave. to N. Division St. if you were heading north).
         
Along this route was the Becky Lee Tourist Home. It was listed at 1307 Camden Ave. The number of the address was changed by the City of Salisbury in October, 1952, to 1008 Camden Ave., when all the street numbers in Salisbury were changed. The home is now cut up into five apartments. It is on the north corner of Somerset Ave. and the west side of Camden Ave.
         
The Becky Lee Tourist Home was established around 1930 by Mrs. T. H. Pusey. It was described as being situated in the best suburban section of the city.
         
Some of the amenities offered were shower baths, spacious porches, shade trees and telephone service.
         
Most of the old tourist homes have been converted in apartments now due to their size. One family could not possibly heat a house of such dimensions – many rooms, high ceilings, etc. When these homes were built, they probably provided living quarters for the father, mother, several children and other family members such parents, aunts or uncles.
         
People do not rent out rooms by the night anymore. If they rent a room, it is probably to someone for an extended period.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

How would bldgs like these be affected by ireton's legislation he is trying to shove down salsbury's throat? Safe streets? Would they divert back to single families?

Anonymous said...

Reminds me of Tandys Tourist House in D.C., 1962. Rent a room for 30 minutes $10.00.

Anonymous said...

Good to hear from you George!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

How would bldgs like these be affected by ireton's legislation he is trying to shove down salsbury's throat? Safe streets? Would they divert back to single families?

12:01 PM

Aw....some little slum lord is getting their panties in a twist because they fear losing their cash cow!!

Anonymous said...

If I remember correctly, the local Pillsbury family operated a tourist home on Camden Avenue also. I knew their children from high school, I believe their names were Dickie and Patricia. I think their father was later associated in some way with the Wicomico Hotel. Can anyone out there confirm any of this?

Anonymous said...

My name is mike wells...i live in Princess Ann and Idont own rentals. I do own some local bank stock and I can tell you they wouldn't agree with your little "cash cow" statement. Landlords are going belly up idiot. Just ask a banker...oh course you seem to be a know it all so maybe just ask yourself. I do have friends that own property in Salisbury and they would sell it if they could. If you owned any investment properties you would have different attitude. That being said...would this home be affected by new laws trying to be passed?

Joseph Albero said...

Do tell me Folks, what human being in these United States with ANY education would spell their name mike wells and not Mike Wells?

Mike, if you are who you claim you are, you're the only Idiot here.

Anonymous said...

George, disagree politely with "what family can afford to heat these homes."

What family can afford to rent one of these apartments with no insulation? When a family gets a historic home, they fix it up so they can afford to be there. Sometimes slowly, like we had to, lots of elbow grease. We aren't rich and the house we got was run down, so we got it reasonable.

For 22 years, we gave that old historic house what it needed. When we sold it, it went to a family.

Anonymous said...

TO the bank stock owner, speculative real estate investments are not a sure thing. Laws are laws and buyer beware.

Bullard Construction said...

George, Is the history similar for that HUGE house at Naylor & Church? That place is as big as five houses!