Project at grand home in Medina brings back sons of prominent local painters

Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) Craig Royal, left, and his partner Tom Bradley sit on the steps of 512 West Ave., the historic home purchased by Andew Meier, who then contracted with Royal and Bradley to paint it. (Right) This is the newly restored front of 512 West Ave. with age-appropriate paint, a gold starburst and new steps.

MEDINA – Andrew Meier, a Medina native and local attorney, has always admired the house at 512 West Ave.

Ed Grinnell’s “Medina – Here’s to Our Heritage,” says Samuel Rice Jr., a native of England, took two deeds on the west side of what was then called “West Street.” The Tribune of Aug. 13, 1885 states “S. Rice Jr. is drawing stone preparatory to the erection of a house to be completed within a year.”

Rice died in 1907 and the house passed to a daughter, Mrs. Harry (Grace) Bickle. Grace was Samuel Rice’s daughter. The Bickles are reported to have lived in the house for many years. After Harry’s death, Grace lived in the home until around 1960, when she moved to Woodland Avenue. The next reported owners were Jim and Pat Anderson.

Meier said the house is basically original, but underwent significant interior remodeling by Harry Bickle in the summer of 1927. At that time, according to Meier, the kitchens and bathrooms were modernized and, he believes, the tin ceilings were installed throughout.

“Almost the entire first floor and much of the second floor have tin ceilings,” Meier said. “It is quite amazing.”

More recently, former village trustee Tim Elliott owned the home and turned it into a ceramics’ studio. When Meier learned Elliott had moved his studio two years ago, he decided to go talk to him.

“The rest is history,” Meier said.

Meier did not have any definite plans for the house when he purchased it, he said.

“But I decided to make it back into a home after working inside it,” Meier said. “We have not done too much work inside, but on the outside, lots of rotten wood has been replaced and the entire porch was rebuilt. We were able to salvage the original porch posts, but all of the railing had to be turned on a lathe to match the original, as it was beyond repair.”

Craig Royal looks at the 1961 issue of Lipton’s Magazine, in which his father Zeke Royal and Zeke’s business partner John Bradley take a break for a glass of tea while painting the Orleans County Courthouse. Bradley’s son Tom currently works with Craig on painting projects.

Meier also knew who he wanted to paint the house, and he contacted Craig Royal, who took over his father Zeke Royal’s painting business and now lives in Mooresville, N.C. Craig’s partner in the business was Tom Bradley, son of Zeke’s partner John Bradley. Tom now lives and Naples, Fla., but agreed to come north and work with Craig on several projects, including the house at 512 West Ave. They also painted Creekside Floral during their time here.

Their dads and Craig and Tom have painted everything and anything, including water towers, schools and churches.

“Dad used to drive up West Center Street and pointing he would say, ‘I painted that house and this house,’” Craig said.

Craig is a Medina native and 1977 graduate of Medina High School. Tom was born in Albion, but his family moved to Naples when he was 14, he said.

Craig said they come up north in the summer to paint, because it’s cooler here then. When Meier called him last year about the house at 512 West Ave., he recruited Scott Grimm, a retired teacher, and current teachers John McCarthy, Christian Held and Shawn Ragonese to help.

He also had to resurrect his father’s old paint truck, which he had sold to Jim Lawson. It was sitting in a field and needed a lot of work, Craig said.

It took more than a month to apply 20 gallons of primer to the house. They completed the job around Sept. 1.

Craig Royal and Tom Bradley stand by their paint truck parked in the front yard of 512 West Ave., after completing a several month-long painting and restoration job on the home, recently purchased by Andrew Meier.