⏳ THROUGH THE YEARS
From the Queen Anne by famed architect George Franklin Barber to the Old Spraker house, Persephone Manor has history.
1910
1893 American architect George Franklin Queen Anne style home in Fonda, NY
1978
1978 known as The Old Spraker house.
1998
1998 purchased by Tom Pagano to be restored to it's previous glory.
2022
The house was purchased by Chris and Fernando and renamed "Persephone Manor"
🪵 STYLING
Scrollwork, spindlework, shingles, brick, and stone often were combined on the Queen Anne style structure. The severely classical Greek Revival and the boxy Italianate were avoided in favor of towers, gables, porches, and bay windows. Corner towers were popular and often were round. Roof shapes often were limited only by the designer's imagination. The combination of architectural elements on this house on Broadway in Fonda illustrates one of the almost endless variations of the Queen Anne style.
🏚 RENOVATION
POLISHING THE JEWEL FONDA When Tom Pagano of Long Island decided to move to Montgomery County, he kept looking at a specific home on Broadway. Tucked behind overgrown brush and trees, was an unpolished jewel in his eyes, just waiting to be dressed up and displayed. Four times he went to the Queen Anne structure. He loved it, even though it had seen better days. "He never showed to me in the rain," Pagano said of the former owner. "Now I know why." Pagano found a few leaks in the roof. But he didn't care, he was going to replace it anyway. "In another 10 years it would have been gone," he said of the condition of the house. Construction has begun to transform historic site from a crumbling, abandoned house to a standing tall historic home. "I just loved that house," he said. "It has potential. It's like looking at a car that's trashed but you want it." By the time Pagano moves in, less than a mile from his sister, the home will have a new roof, new paint, two new porches, a new bridge in the back yard, refurbished kitchen , stairwell, sheet rock and dining room. "That's how you bottom." restore it," he said. "From top to The county records on the house say is was mentioned as a historical site, but was not formally registered. It was built in 1893 and is known as the Old Spraker house. One woman passing by told Pagano she used to babysit there years ago. "This place has a lot of history," he said. Before Pagano, Wayne Carpenter owned the house for nine years. He rented it out at times, but also kept antiques and furniture inside. Pagano is no stranger to restoring homes. He has restored seven homes and lived in every one. "The Queen Anne design is very distinctive," he said. "During that period you could do whatever you wanted. There are peaks, square towers. They're very charming." Fortunately for Pagano, the foundation and basic structure is still strong. But Pagano is going beyond restoration. He also wants modern conveniences like landscaping, a double driveway and a garage. Pagano drives up every few weeks to check on the restoration. Workers can be seen tearing off shingles and sandblasting the walls. Two-by-fours stabilize the front porch roof until it's restored. "It's a beautiful house," he said. "The person who will be most shocked is the former owner.'
