1630 Beech Grove Road, Texas Township The first recorded deed to this property was dated 1858 when John McIntosh sold John Smith the dwelling house, barn. and 3 acres 116 perches for $428. Charles Rheim was the owner at the time the 1872 Atlas of Wayne County was published. Charles Rheim had purchased it from Frank Brown for $1000. Through the intervening years there were several deed transfers. John and Jessie Koehler took possession from the heirs of Peter Sonn in 1933. John Koehler was superintendent of the Honesdale Union School District, which included most of Texas Township. In 1954 the Koehlers sold to Merritt and Flora Olver. Merritt Olver was in the insurance business as well as president of the Honesdale Union School District School Board. This property remained in the Merritt Olver family until 1993. At that time Joseph and Georgene Kassakian purchased the property from Merritt R. Olver, Jr. and Vivian Olver. Mr. and Mrs. Kassakian did extensive restoration to the property. They built a new horse barn, and kept the old barn. The original stone wall, that encircles the property, remains in good condition. It is a side gable New England style house with asymmetrical placing of the front windows and door. The windows are two over two with shutters. The upstairs floors as well as the dining room floor are the originals. Rembert and Lisa Meszler then purchased this property, which was featured in the June 2005 issue of Country Living. It received the Wayne County Historic Preservation Award in 1997.

From 1993 through 2008 the Honesdale National Bank published an annual wall calendar, each featured 13 historic sites. The sites were chosen and researched by a committee of the historical society and artwork was commissioned to Judy Hunt and William Amptman by the bank.

This page was one month of the calendar and was made possible through the Wayne County Commissioners and a Tourism Promotion Committee’s Tourism Grant.