Livin’ in Liverpool: House at 807 starts life afresh with new owner

LIVERPOOL — Carlton Holmes is happy to have neighbors again. One of Central New York’s most creative architects, Carlton lives in Liverpool at the corner of Oswego and Fourth streets, right next door to the House at 807.

In March 2018 the Liverpool Housing Authority gave up the ghost and closed the House at 807 they’d been renting inexpensively to up to eight elderly residents in need of assisted living quarters. The building and its one-half acre went up for sale, and — wise and experienced builder that he is — Carlton Holmes scooped it up and set to work renovating it.

“We did some basic maintenance to plumbing, electrical and heating as well as some remedial insulation,” he said.

With 4,000-plus square feet of space, the house is considered one of the largest in the village, and it has benefited from extensive renovations over the years. It includes nine bedrooms, three bathrooms, an attached garage and a fireplace.

According to Village Historian Dorianne Elitharp Gutierrez, the home is 164 years old.

“It appears that the house at 807 Oswego St. was renovated/built in 1857 for Willard Gleason (1823-1883) and his wife, Ellen Sherman Gleason (1832-1892),” Dorianne said. Willard Gleason was the brother of Lucius Gleason, a millionaire who was president of the Third National Bank.

Distinguished professor

Anyhow, having redesigned the home’s interior, Holmes put the property up for sale and after a few months on the market a purchase-offer of $250,000 was accepted and closed on June 1.
The new owner is the distinguished educator, Raul Huerta. In fact, shortly after his retirement in 2014, his employer SUNY Morrisville, awarded him the President’s Medal of Distinction. Huerta retired as the college’s senior advisor for the Educational Opportunity Program and before that he served as director for International Student Services.

In partnership with the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Taskforce, United University Professions and the SUNY Chancellor, Huerta helped establish SUNY’s Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. He also revived participation in the SUNY/CUNY Model Senate, and – as an emeritus – he still volunteers in this annual effort.

A life member of the National Abolition Hall of Fame in Peterboro, Huerta remains active in the community as a member of the Syracuse Sunrise Rotary Club.

I’m glad to finally have neighbors again,” Holmes said. “Raul is a retired professor and he and his partner, Marianne, are very nice people.”

Welcome to Liverpool, Raul and Marianne!

Intersection almost done

The state DOT’s road work at the village’s main intersection at Tulip and Oswego streets seems basically complete, but they’re taking their time to open the second left-turn lane from Tulip onto Oswego. Stand by. Those massive Amazon trucks will be rolling — and roaring — down the road sometime soon.

Leo Crandall, 1953-2021

Back in the summer of 2005, I booked The Gonstermachers, a quirky four-piece blues combo to play here at the Johnson Park art festival which celebrated our village’s 175th anniversary.

I’ll never forget the band’s otherworldly version of “St. James Infirmary” featuring bandleader Leo Crandall on aching vocal and awesome — and unusual — blues cello.

Sadly, Crandall died suddenly of a heart attack on May 29, in Syracuse at age 67.

A gifted and versatile musician and singer, Leo played with virtually every serious musician in the Syracuse area, some in public venues with formal bands like the Gonstermachers, others on front porches and living rooms. He was preparing to release his 10th album this summer.

Best known for his percussive style on the cello, he expanded the instrument’s role into traditional, soul, roots and blues music. He could play styles ranging from Louis Armstrong to Jimi Hendrix. Leo was also adept at acoustic and electric guitar, the higher-pitched requinto, resonating guitars and the piano harp.

Leo’s lowdown, gritty singing voice was often compared to those of Tom Waits and Captain Beefheart.

Leo spent his last decade as an instructor at Syracuse University in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.