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Location: 4221 Hill Street, Fair Oaks
Date of Construction: After 1907
Architecture: Prairie style
Previous Owners: William H. Williams, Daniel and Hedwig Shirvin plus many renters
Present Owners: Jenny and Nazra Bertelli and children Alanah, Ricky and Lumina who have moved out after 7 years. They are selling the home by owner at 903-7603 with an asking price of $515,000.
Our only known photo of the Shirvin House was on a postcard in the Iva Langness collection of photos. On the back of the post card was the notation, "Shervin [sic] home on Hill St, about 1912, Abbey Green." There is no date on the postcard. Jim and Marilyn Pearce went walking on Hill Street with the old photo and found the home, little changed since the photo was taken.
If Abbey's notation of "1912" refers to when the house was built, it was probably built by William H. Williams who came out to Fair Oaks in the early 1900's from Illinois, probably to retire since he was in his late 50's or early 60's. His trade was a butcher. While the property (Block 17, Lot 2 on the property maps) had several owners before being bought by Mr. Williams, there is no evidence it was built on before 1907. Mr. Williams is listed on the property records for 1912 as the owner and shows up in the 1910 & 1920 census living on the property. The Shirvens moved to Fair Oaks from Minnesota around 1925 and bought the house. Daniel Shirven also probably moved to Fair Oaks for retirement since he was about 72 years old. His first wife died in 1916 and he married his second wife Hedwig, some 27 years younger, in 1920. They had no children. Tempe Weinreich, owner of our featured home last issue, had Mrs. Shirvin as a teacher at Fair Oaks Elementary in 3rd., 4th. and 5th. grades. She remembers her as eccentric and beloved who taught there a long time. Her driving skills however were notorious as she was absent-minded and careless. Some time after Daniel died, she married Peter Thrall. They are buried in Fair Oaks Cemetery.
Viola Snyder lived in the home at one time and later bought the lot next door for her long- time home. She passed away in 2006. Many renters lived there until the present owners took over. Jenny is owner of Belinda's Maid Agency, a business in our Fair Oaks Village, and has appreciated the home as it was close to school and work.
The home has 3 bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths downstairs, living room and office area. It has no basement but a deep crawl-space. It is situated on under 1/4 acre. It had dual-pane windows when they bought it and a bit of metal roof...probably original. They recently had it repainted inside and out!