High-End Historic

By
Appears in the January 2023 issue.

This updated downtown Geneva gem dates back to a founding family

 

Outside a large downtown Geneva home

While most buyers mainly will be attracted to the half-acre lot, wraparound porch, and close proximity to the shops and restaurants of bustling downtown Geneva, history buffs will appreciate the pedigree of this circa 1873 home at 500 Fulton Street, recently put on the market for $1.45 million. Known as the Dodson House, it was originally occupied by one Charles Dodson, the eldest son of early settlers Christian and Harriet Dodson, who are widely credited with having named the town.

The kitchen of a large downtown Geneva home
The living room of a large downtown Geneva home

But even those uninterested in throwing around the updated Italianate’s civic bona fides will appreciate the combination of the home’s preserved stylistic detail—such as the vertical windows, bracketed eaves, and intricately carved braces on the clustered porch posts—and well-chosen updates, including the modern high-end kitchen, finished basement, and beautifully manicured grounds (complete with two paver patios, fire pit, hot tub, greenhouse, and deluxe playhouse/she-shed). The lavish master suite features not only a large sitting area and fireplace but also a custom staircase to what listing agent Ginny Sylvester of Hemming & Sylvester Properties says is one of the home’s unique features—a third-floor cupola. “You can see all over Geneva from that finished room,” she adds. “The current owners absolutely love that space.”

 

Photos courtesy of David Mitchell