2007 Pepper Ave (Andrus-Smith House)
Current owner: Carmen Maurer
Date built: ca 1890; moved to present location ca. 1908
Architect: unknown
Estimated Time to Tour: 5 min
Key Things to See:
★ Elaborate shingles and tall windows—a house that moved with its history.
★ Architectural blend of eras—a rare chance to see late-1800s detailing in an early-1900s neighborhood setting.
As the Near South Neighborhood Association mission states, we are "an organization of citizens concerned with historic preservation, revitalization of older properties, and maintenance of the neighborhood for low–density residential land use.” This home is a work-in-progress, demonstrating the association’s commitment to this mission. When the previous owner and neighborhood identified this home as one that needed "a little extra TLC," a collaborative effort was made to save and preserve it. In January, NSNA board member Carmen Maurer, acquired this home, and along with board member Bob Watson, they are presently renovating the home, with the goal of providing a home to a new owner-occupant, a home filled with old charm, while designing modern features like kitchen and bath spaces that are compatible with its 1880s vibe.
There is still much work to do at what’s now lovingly called the “Pepper Avenue Palace,” but it was decided to include the “before” version on the tour with the hope that one might envision a future for this home. Might this inspire you to help save a historic home? Carmen and Bob are not professional home builders, but what they lack in expertise is made up for in their love of the Near South and Lincoln’s history.
According to lore, it is believed that this house was originally located at 2036 S. 26th St. When a manager at the Miller & Paine Department Store, bought two lots at the original 26th St site, this house was moved to its present Pepper Ave. location in 1907 or 1908. An exact date of its original construction is unknown, but its Queen Anne style would indicate that it was built in the 1880s or 1890s, almost certainly one of the first residences in the Franklin Heights area. Demolition connected with the present renovation uncovered a window on the west wall of the dining room, indicating that the kitchen may have been added at some time or expanded as part of the move.
The first owners at 2007 Pepper were Frank W. Andrus, a piano tuner and inventor, his wife Lottie and their children. From 1923 to 1953, it was the home of Theodore Townsend (also known as T-Square) Smith, his wife Elizabeth and their family. Professor Smith was a Harvard graduate and taught Physics at the University of Nebraska from 1919 to 1953. He is buried at Wyuka Cemetery here in Lincoln.
Recently discovered in the attic was a 1930s era “Cornhusker” canvas 3-ring notebook belonging to the Smiths’ son Andrew, a fifth grader at Prescott Elementary. The notebook bears the likeness of a Nebraska football player on the front, along with Andrew’s own sketches of Mickey Mouse on the back cover. Throughout the home are original transoms above the doors, which will enhance the functionality of a newly installed air conditioning system. This is truly a home where the past, present and future meld, and its history lives on.