[The house in Winfield, Alabama was built by Ben Gruner in 1903 and described by his daughter Mary Kate, years later. She was three years old when the house was built, and spent her childhood there. Ben was a station agent for the Frisco Railway.]

I loved our Winfield house very much, and spent many happy hours there. The ground floor consisted of a porch that went half way round the house. The entrance was into a reception hall. To the right of the hall was what we called the parlor. Off the parlor was a huge bedroom that had another entrance to the side porch in back. There was another door leading from the reception hall to the dining room on the left side of the house. This was also a large room. The family ate in there and Mother always kept a white tablecloth and white napkins on the table. We had our own napkin rings. Mother said she wanted her children to eat properly so that he would not be embarrassed when we went away for dinner
at someone else’s house.

Behind the dining room was the kitchen. Between the kitchen and the dining room were cupboards that opened on each side to facilitate the handling of the dishes. The kitchen was large with a wood range stove and large pantry adjoining, One of the doors from the dining room led to the long porch.

Back of the kitchen, at ground level, was the laundry, where all the clothes were washed and ironed. Above the laundry was the playroom for us children, a small bedroom for the maid, and also a stair leading to a bedroom on the second floor.

Upstairs there was a winding stair from the reception hall that led to an upstairs hall. There were three big bedrooms and one smaller bedroom. My mother and father occupied the master bedroom that had an adjoining nursery for the babies, located over the parlor and downstairs bedroom. I had the small bedroom located over the reception hall and my brothers occupied the back bedroom over the dining room. It had a stairway down to the back of the house.

I was fascinated with the house and later learned that he had put a stairway to the tower, whereby a button was pressed on the wall and stair steps came down and one could proceed to the tower, where a nice bedroom had been installed. There was also another approach to the tower bedroom. The stairs from the reception hall did a turn halfway up on the stairs. Out of sight of the hall was a panel on the wall. By pressing a button on the wall, the panel would slide to one side and there was a ladder one could take to the tower bedroom.

[Editors Note:]
(The house was sold out of the family in the 1920s. It burned in the1930s)


This article, submitted by Marian Zang, is very much appreciated. Such vivid and wonderful memories of the old homestead bring mystery and life to the house that Benjamin built for his family. Secret panels, hidden stairways, all enhancing our family's history.

Hurley Road Cemetery

Return to Menu

Music Playing: ~ Forever~


Copyright(c)2001-2002-2003 Nancy G. Urvan / Marian S. Zang. All rights reserved Copyright(c)1983 The Gruner Heritage: Marian E. Rabbit-Zang. All rights reserved Library of Congress Catalogue Card # 83-80151



Page date: 15 October, 2001
Page updated: 02 June, 2003