| History | Built initially in 1890 by William Thomas Gorell, this is one of the dwindling reminders of Lakewood's distant rural past.
After nine years working fro a land owner named A.R. Ayers, building fences and completing other jobs, Gorrell bought the first piece of land that, by 1906, totaled 320 acres, reaching west to today's south Garrison Street, east to Wadsworth Blvd. And south to Florida Ave. The 1890 purchase was quickly followed by construction of a two-story farm house and some outbuildings. Two years later, in 1892, Gorrell married Anna Aduddell. They set up housekeeping in the new house establishing a long residence that continues today. It remains the home to Nora Gorrell Luino, and a grandson, Norman Nicholas.
The Gorrell dairy farm became prosperous through endless days and years of hard work. The big barn sheltered 30 milking cows and the usual array of other farm animals. Grains and corn grew in the fields and were stone in Gorrells silos to feed the stock. Gorrell sold cattle and also rented property on Green Mountain as pasture for dairy cows.
In 1924 the house caught fire, no one was harmed. Gorrell and son Fred built a new brick home on the old foundation in 1925.
Eventually, William Gorrell gave each of his six children six acres for their homesites, dictating exactly how they should be built.
Bob and Everett Gorrell stayed in the dairy business until after WWII. In the mid 50s they sold a large part to developers of the Palomino and Greenwood Park subdivisions. The dairy itself was sold in the 1960s. |
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