Greater Kent Historical Society
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    • Home
    • Museum
      • Visitor Accessibility
      • Bereiter House
      • GKHS & the Bereiter House
      • Photo Tour
      • Collections
      • Long Articles & Research
    • Kent
      • Indigenous Peoples
      • History of Kent
      • Galleries
      • Sunday Strolls
      • Historical Sites
    • Involvement
      • Volunteer
      • Business Sponsors
      • Membership
      • Board
      • Community Involvement
      • Donate
    • Connections
      • Executive Director
      • Events
      • Scholarships
      • Rentals
      • Newsletters
      • We Are Kent
Greater Kent Historical Society
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Bereiter House

     The house is situated on the north side of East Smith Street. The lot to the west originally contained the Bereiter gazebo and orchard. Now it is the location of the Masonic Temple. Mill Creek is across the street from the house. The house and its landscaped grounds were once a showplace in Kent.

     The two-story wood frame structure with clapboard exterior has a hip roof with exposed rafters. Two hipped roof dormers are on the east side of the house.

     The house has 1,940 sq. ft. of floor space on the first floor, 1,635 sq. ft. on the second floor, for a total of 3,575 sq. ft. The third floor has approximately 800 sq. ft. and was used as a game area; one room had a pool table and the other was a card room.

     There is a small basement large enough only for the hot water boiler that heated the house, which had twelve radiators.

    The ceilings are 10 ft. high.

     The house is listed as a fifteen room house: eight on the first floor; five on the second floor; and two on the third, or attic floor.

     The first and second floors have plaster walls and ceilings. The third floor has stained wood paneling. The first floor office also has wood paneling.

Five of the rooms have hardwood flooring, the other seven have fir. All rooms have fir wood trim.

     There is one fireplace in the living room, with inglenook benches on each side that open to store wood.

    Doors and windows have simple molded trim. Most windows are double-hung and have leaded glass in their upper sashes. The front (south) façade has two oriel windows, one at each corner of the second floor. Thirteen corbel brackets support each oriel window.

    There is 965 sq. ft. of porch space on the house. The eight-foot wide entrance porch extends from the southeast corner to the center of the west façade. Sets of Doric columns support the porch roof. A plain railing encloses the porch. The main entry, a carved door with two flush sidelights, is in the center of the south façade.

    North of the porch on the west façade, overlooking downtown Kent, is a two-story polygonal bay with a rectangular hip roof. The second story has an open porch.

     At the back of the house is a shed (9 x 12 ft.), used to store wood and coal. The building has a hip roof with exposed rafters, clapboard siding, and plain corner boards.

      The carriage house (18 x 18 ft.) has a loft overhead. It has a gable roof with exposed rafters and a dormer on the south side. The exterior is covered with plain boards. Trim is rough sawn lumber.

Museum Grounds

Veterans Blue Star Memorial By-Way Marker

The Blue Star Memorial Marker represents honor for the United States of America and appreciation for the members of the armed services of America. This location is the only Memorial and Community gathering place in the area to recognize all past, present and future veterans who serve or have served in America’s Armed Forces.The Blue Star By-Way Veteran’s Memorial Marker and Rose Garden was dedicated September 27, 2006.

Another Place, Another Time

Recognizing the rich history and culture of the Kent area Japanese-American Community“The Issei came as young immigrants before the turn of the century, helped clear the land and set their roots in the fertile soil. Though diligence and fortitude, they were successful in the endeavors in agriculture, and contributed much to the economy of the White River Valley.The Ties between the Issei and their succeeding generations are symbolized by the rope design leading from the rock to the concrete pillar. The bench, a partial outline of a flower, and the granite vegetable and flower engravings, represent the agricultural heritage of the Issei. Memories of the Japanese American Legacy in the White River Valley are quoted from the Nisei community and their friends and neighbors.”—Stuart S. Nakamura, Artist

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