The Bentley House

The Bentley House. 513 F Street. , You are standing in what was the north grain field on the original Jerome Davis farm (1858). This home was constructed at the edge of Davis in 1910 by local builder James Elzy Wire. It is a fine example of the craftsman bungalow, and because of its elevated first floor, is sometimes referred to as a "high water bungalow"., It was originally built as a spec home. It had two bedrooms, one bath, a kitchen, a small music room at the foot of the interior stairway to the second floor, and a partial basement. There was a large undeveloped room upstairs with a separate entrance at the north side. The home was sold several times in its first three decades, and was repossessed by the bank during the early years of the Great Depression., William and Laura Bentley bought the property in 1944. He owned a farm in Winters and had numerous local jobs, including pool maintenance at UC Davis' Athletic Department. She worked in a lab at UC Davis, taught ceramics, and was active in the Davis Community Church and Davis Senior Center. The Bentleys rented the upstairs room to university students. The home changed little during their ownership., Dan Szumski, a civil engineer, and his wife, Patricia, an artist, purchased the home in 1999. They have completed restoration work on the first floor, changing the original design minimally. A second floor apartment was added in 2002. The Szumskis, and their daughter, Danielle, have been active in the Old North Davis Neighborhood Association., Placed this 18th day of September, 2010, on the occasion of this home's 100th anniversary