Pease House

According to the book “History of Verona” by Grace Kass, “the original Captain William Pease purchased a large tract of land (circa 1847) running up the hill from the west side of Verona Lake almost to the present Essex Fells line.” This land comprises nearly one-quarter of the land that makes up present-day Verona and thus is some considerable historic significance. 


Gilbert Pease built the house, located at 66 Lakeside Ave., on the corner of Lakeside Avenue and Pease Avenue in 1893 and lived there until he was 90 years old. This house maintains several, significantly unique architectural features.

• There are seven ceilings with different patterns pressed into them that are original to the house.
• There is also tin trimming in the upstairs hallway and bedrooms.
• The gas fixtures are still found attached to the bedroom ceilings.
• The original old hinges and doorknobs are still found on the doors. The bedroom door is higher than the closet door.
• The stairwell layout was changed many years ago from a narrow stairway that turned at a landing to a wider, longer, straight stairway.
• However, the old banisters were retained. The cellar has four-by-eight inch beams that are 16 inches on center. It also has brick piers made out of 12-inch brick.
• The height of the cellar is six-feet, one-inch.