In my Grandfather’s autobiography, he tells of the transition from cvhildhood to adulthood as follows
While I failed to realize it at the time, my father’s death put an end to my carefree boyhood days and made me take a more serious view of life. The idea gradually grew in my mind that as the oinly “man” in the family, it was my duty to do what I could do to support it. Soon I was to leave my childhood spent in the Lincoln Avenue house to start a new chapter in the Dell Avenue house where I spent most of my teens and early manhood.
The interval between moving out of the Lincoln Avenue house and carpentry work on the renovated Dell Avenue house was finished, we spent in a rented house, and while there I contracted scarlet fever. The day before I was sick enough to have a doctor, I felt extremely tired and listless and that night I had a horrible dream. The facts of themselves were not so bad but the realism was terrifying. I was on a very large globe, the surface of which was so slippery I continually fell down each time I started to stand up. No matter how many times I tried it was no use and the prospect of never being able to regain a standing position was horrifying.
Alfred Duryee Guion in front of the Dell Avenue house about 1902
Alfred Duryee Guion at the Dell Avenue house about 1905
Dell Avenue house
Dell Avenue house
Dell Avenue house today
Dell Avenue house today
The porch has been enclossed but the exterior of the house remains basically as it did when my Grandfather moved in.
Judy Guion
"Greatest Generation" Life Lessons 
You know I’ve always loved this house – hope you all keep it.
It’s so lovely that the house is still there.
Gallivanta – Arla and I were thrilled when we found it because we had no idea which house it was. We just had one picture that we thought was the house. We found Dell Ave. and looked at all the houses on both sides of the street. It was exciting when we first saw it.
I can imagine the excitement! I thought it was interesting that the house in its original state seemed to have a railed balcony on its roof area; like a viewing platform.
Gallivanta – That was the one feature that we looked for on all the houses…. a flat roof that could have had a railing on it. That and the enclosed porch running all across the front of the house made this choice clear. :)