City Directories and History: Charleston Building & Investment Co. conveyed Lots I and J of Moses Tract to Mr. F.W. Wamsley on May 4, 1912 for $900. Mr. Wamsley and his wife, Adaline, lived at 121 Rutledge Ave. at the time, with Mr. Wamsley working as the principal of the Simonton Colored School at Jasper and Morris St. Mr. Wamsley held the property until May 19, 1922, when he sold it to Miss Easter F. Stello.
The Stello family owned the Charleston Lead Works. In 1922, Miss Easter Stello, Mr. Louis T. Stello, Mr. Luther H. Stello, and Miss Margaret E. Stello are all listed as living at 116 2 Spring St. The following year, Luther Stello is listed as a resident at 464 Huger along with Margaret and Louis. City directories vary from year to year as to who lived in the house, always with at least one of the Stellos listed.
The occupations of the Stellos also changed. Miss Easter Stello remained the vice-president and treasurer of the Charleston Lead Co. until 1929, when she was listed as the office manager for the National Lead Co. (of Baltimore, Maryland). Miss Margaret Stello remained the president and secretary of the family business until 1928. Miss Easter Stello was also a clerk at the Mehrtens Motor. (1924), manager of The Mortgage Loan Co. (1930), and bookkeeper at Bay Beverage Distributors (1944-45). Miss Margaret Stello’s jobs included a stenographer for S.S. Booker (1929) and a Navy typist (1942). Louis T. Stello was a salesman for Mehrtens Motor Co. (1925-26) and salesman for Wieters Motor Co. (1929). Luther and his wife Sophie were listed at 520 King Street in 1925-26, but he appeared as a resident of 464 Huger St. in other years.
Miss Stello sold the house to Ethel A. Garfinkel on July 11, 1945 for $15,500. The Garfinkels moved into the house from 83 Line Street but only held the house for a short time; she sold it to Margaret Early Lawrence on February 28, 1947 for $20,000. There were no listings for the Garfinkels giving the occupations of either Ethel or her husband, Harry Garfinkel.
Mrs. Lawrence also only held the house for a short time too, selling it to John Disher and Marie A. Disher on September 24, 1948 for $22,500. Mr. Disher owned a contracting business at 542 King Street known as Southern Electric Co. By 1955, the Dishers has also bought a home on Sullivan’s Island. By 1958, Mrs. Disher was a widow, and her son, John Disher, Jr., was the president of the family business.
Mrs. Disher conveyed the house to her children and their spouses on December 21, 1965. The children apparently use the house as rental property; between 1968 and 1970, the house was rented to Westvaco research chemist Mr. Ingemar S. and Mrs. Gulli V. Falkehag. The Dishers’ two children and their spouses sold the house to Navy Shipyard worker Francis Edward Bradley on September 25, 1970 for $22,500. When he died on May 1, 1995, his wife Dorothy received the house through a deed of distribution executed on May 1, 1995.
On May 26, 2015, Andrew B. and Jayne H. Wilkins bought the house, and local preservation contractor Marc Engelke began a restoration of the house in September 2015.
Information written and submitted to R&R by Kevin Eberle – 2015
Other sources of interest: Charleston Tax Payers of Charleston, SC in 1860-61 and the Dwelling Houses of Charleston by Alice R.H. Smith – 1917 The HCF may also have additional data at: Past Perfect and further research can be uncovered at: Charleston 1861 Census Schedule or The Charleston City Guide of 1872
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