2nd Avenue - McMurchy-Curtis-Winch House

The McMurchy/Curtis/Winch House in Reston written by Lucille (Paul) Curtis wife of Leo Curtis in the 1980’s

When we bought the Massey business in 1948 from Jack McMurchy, we became the owners of their house on the corner of 5th Street and 2nd Ave. in Reston. I was told that it was the former form of W.A. Brady family before their house was built on 1st Street.

The kitchen was unique in that it featured one window and seven doors – one leading to the basement, pantry, bathroom, upstairs, dining room which had an archway to the living room and two doors to the front and back porches. A verandah surrounded the south and east side of the house.

The upstairs consisted of three bedrooms. A door at the top of the stairs opened on to a balcony.

My brother Irving told me that the McMurchy yard has been featured in the garden magazine. At one time there was an arbor covered with Virginia creepers which ran from the front street back to the edge of the back yard. There was a summer house (Delle McMurchy’s description to me) in a hedge which ran west of the house to the arbor. It had two benches facing each other and an open roof. In front of the hedge were irises, oriental poppies and peonies.

On the east side, opposite the kitchen, was another flower garden of peonies and delphiniums.

An outside entrance at the back of the house led down to the cellar door. This was used mostly for drinking water delivery to a tank in the basement.

The back yard had posts made from rocks held together by cement. Cement dividers outlined paths around a rock garden.

A cement pond at one time held goldfish, had a bench along one side among a rosebush and trees and a small bridge over a small stream out of the pond. A couple of times, the pond was filled with water from the town well and became a swimming pool for our children. They charged one boy 25 cents to join the fun.

Daughter Delle McMurchy had a small playhouse but this went to her sister Pearl McGaffin in Virden in the early years.

A rock fence divided the lot between the Debbie’s in the early years and Edison and Loretta Berry in the later years.

The verandah and balcony were in bad condition so we had the Toews brothers repair the balcony and rebuild and close in the verandah.

The house was sold to Wattie and Mary Winch when we moved to Winnipeg in February, 1960.



Update - April 2020 by Sharon

From the Olenick photos

Janis Lobreau has been in touch with an update to Mrs. Curtis's memories above.  She and her husband Gilbert bought the house from the Winch family in 1975.  They lived there until 1986 when they sold the lots to Jack and Muriel Mayberry.  The house was demolished and they had a new one built on the spot.  Vince Moore and Melanie Vinck and their family own the house now.