Overview

The history of The Pink House is unique because it is one of the few Victorian-era residences to remain in the possession of the same family for four generations. Victorian residences are 19th century fantasies created as monuments to their original owner's financial success and their personal tastes and interests. Each residence is an exuberant expression of achieving the American financial dream, the love of family and faith, and the opportunity to explore avocations during an era in United States History when the country was rapidly becoming an urban and industrial nation. Economic success enabled Americans to cast off the simple and austere architecture of houses that were two rooms over two. Multi-storied residences, many with towers and multiple wings, permitted larger and more rooms with specialized functions. The interiors celebrated the latest in technological innovation in plumbing, lighting, and heating. The decorative arts were given full expression in the beautifully carved woodwork that celebrated the varieties of local hard and soft woods and the skills of local immigrant artisans. Victorian homes were dedicated to more than the customary cooking, eating, and sleeping functions. Victorian homes permitted family members to experience beauty and comfort while developing their own talents and skills. But, it was not only the exterior and interior that Victorian houses celebrated. These residences celebrated the landscaped grounds and decorative gardens, which enhanced the beauty of the architecture in their midst. Landscaped grounds with fountains and ornamentals were gathering places for family and friends to celebrate birthdays, christenings, weddings, funerals, and the seasons of spring, summer, fall, and winter. Victorians were social. Both the gardens and grounds along with the residential interiors brought family and friends frequently together to appreciate special moments. The Pink House has always been a private residence. It has never been open to the public. Therefore, this may be the reason for the many unexplained stories that surfaced over 150 years about the home built by Edwin Bradford Hall. Mr. Hall and his descendants remained very private people in both the celebration of life and the sadness of grief over death. Mrs. Fannie Hall Carpenter, the daughter of Edwin B. Hall, lived a more secluded life after the death of her husband, John Milton Carpenter, in 1926 until her own death in 1958. As a result, the house retreated more from the realm of social interaction. Mrs. Carpenter's daughter, Florence Carpenter Woelfel, lived permanently in Columbus, Ohio returning to Wellsville for a few months each year. It was not until the retirement of Dr. Julian Woelfel in 1989, Edwin B. Hall's great-grandson, that The Pink House once again came back to life and was reintegrated into the Wellsville community under Julian's and Marcile's stewardship. On behalf of Dr. Julian and Marcile Woelfel I invite you to The Pink House. This is a ghost free tour. The Pink House never had ghosts. Mary Frances Farnum never haunted The Pink House because it never existed during her short life time. The death of two-year old Beatrice Carpenter was a private family tragedy. As you page through the story of The Pink House enjoy the travel back in time to Wellsville's early days. Rediscover the accomplishments of Edwin Bradford Hall as a successful druggist, a gifted amateur fossil collector, and talented architect. Rediscover the roles played by Antoinette Farnum Hall, her daughter Fannie Hall Carpenter, and Mrs. Hall's sister, Louise Farnum Brown, in the establishment of Wellsville's David A. Howe Public Library. My only regret is that Dr. Julian Woelfel died unexpectedly on September 2, 2017 and could not be with us to celebrate the publication of The Pink House but he remains with us in spirit.

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Marcile B. Woelfel was born in Defiance County in northeastern Ohio, where she graduated from high school. Marcile received a scholarship to attend Capital University in Bexley, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus. Marcile met her future husband, Julian Woelfel when she was a student at Capital when her college roommate decided to go to the Jimmy Rawlins Dance School in downtown Columbus during the summer. Julian and a friend decided to take dance lessons there as well. Julian had an old coupe car and began taking Marcile home after dance class. They dated for two years while Julian finished dental school. Julian and Marcile were married on May 1, 1948, and settled near Ohio State University. Julian and Marcile raised three sons. Bradford Woelfel, the eldest, is a graduate of Ohio State University High School, Oberlin College (B. A.), Ohio State University School of Education (M. A.), and Capital University Law School. Brad worked in Juvenile Court until his retirement. Brad and his wife, Margo, have been married for thirty years and reside in Columbus. The Woelfel's second son, Barry Edwin, attended the New College in Sarasota, Florida, and Ohio State University before moving to California, where he graduated from Sonoma College. Barry received a degree in library science from Berkeley University. Julian's and Marcile's youngest son, Jay Bryan, graduated from the Ohio State University Department of Cinema and Film and moved to the Los Angeles area in California. Jay has been actively involved in the film industry, making his own movies and making sound for other films. Jay and his wife, Kristy, a former Ohio resident, currently reside in Glendale. After the Woelfel family returned from Japan in 1967, Marcile was invited by the Ohio State University Director of Foreign Affairs to become involved in a new program at the university for the wives and children of international students. Ohio State University was experiencing a rapid increase in international students studying for advanced degrees. An International Wives Club was formed to program classes in English, pregnancy, child care, grocery shopping, and many more to assist in assisting the international students and their families' adjustment to adjusting to American culture and lifestyle. Meetings were frequently organized at nearby churches. Marcile Woelfel was the volunteer chairperson for this program for twenty years ending with Julian's 1989 retirement. The International Wives Club was eventually phased out as more spouses of international students preferred to enroll in regular academic courses at Ohio State University. In addition to their extensive international travel in retirement, Julian and Marcile began the extensive restoration of the Pink House in Wellsville, New York. Marcile celebrated her 91st birthday on January 24, 2018. William A. Paquette, Ph. D. (United States) was a Professor of History at Tidewater Community College in Portsmouth, Virginia where he taught Latin American History, World Civilization, U. S. History, and Western Civilization. Professor Paquette received a Master's Degree from Duquesne University (Pittsburgh) and a Ph. D. from Emory University (Atlanta). During his academic career, Dr. Paquette was awarded 14 National Endowment for the Humanities Grants for professional study and Institutional grants that enabled him to study and conduct research in China and Japan. He traveled to southern Mexico over a ten-year period examining the archaeology at Maya and Aztec sites and studied the Maya language at Duke University (Durham, NC). Professor Paquette presented research at international conferences at the University of Louvain (Belgium), the Sorbonne (Paris), the University of Acala de Henares (Spain), the University of Copenhagen (Denmark), Lorand Eotvos University (Budapest), and San Pablo University (Madrid). He has published over 165 articles and thirteen books and served as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Education, the United States Institute of Peace, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and all major history textbook publishers. For a decade, he was the History Editor for the international MERLOT (Multimedia Education Resources for Learning and Online Teaching) Project instructing college and university faculty on how to teach online courses. Dr. Paquette was annually listed in Who's Who in America and Who's Who in the World. During his professional career Dr. Paquette met the late King Michael I and the late Queen Anne of Romania, King Simeon II of Bulgaria, the late Pope John Paul II, the Dalai Lama, members of the British Royal Family, and numerous Heads of Government from European States. Dr. Paquette attended Allentown Union School for grades kindergarten to six, Scio Central School for part of grade 7, and Wellsville High School for grades 7 to 12.

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