The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Home has plenty of stories to tell
BRIDGEPORT — The painting is something of a mystery.
It sits over the fireplace in the living room of 33 Eames Blvd., in Bridgeport’s Black Rock section. It depicts what appears to be two women, one of them covered in dirt, crouched on the ground. There is a barely legible signature in one corner, but Lisa Riccio O’Brien, who grew up in the house, said she does not know anything about the piece or its history.
Her cousin, Sarah Keenan, the property’s listing agent, does not know much about it either, but she does have theories. The house was built in 1933 by her and O’Brien’s grandfather, Ferdinand Frassinelli, who immigrated to the area from the Abruzzi section of Italy in the early 1900s. He teamed with another Italian, Philip Epifano, to form E & F Construction Co.
Keenan said Italian artists and artisans who would immigrate here would routinely find work with her grandfather’s company. “I sure this was some great Italian artist who worked for them,” she said of the painting.
The 4,695-square-foot Mediterranean colonial — listed at $1,595,000 — is a source of great affection for both Keenan and O’Brien. Theirs is the only family that’s ever lived in it, and this is the first time it’s ever been on the market.
O’Brien’s mother was living there until her death last year. Since then, the family has been preparing to sell the home, and it just recently went on the market.
“It’s heartbreaking to sell this place,” O’Brien said.
Designed by noted architect Leonard Asheim, the house incorporates both Italian and Californian designs. There are curved staircases throughout, including one leading down to the basement.
The basement includes a fireplace, a working bar with taps, and a door with a keyhole-shaped stained glass window adorned with the image of a beer stein.
“Back in the day, there were all sort of parties here,” O’Brien said.
The house overlooks Long Island Sound and offers water views from nearly every window (not including views of the inground pool in the home’s backyard).
Keenan and O’Brien said the house remains full of memories — including a particularly gasp-inducing one about the laundry chute on the second floor.
“Lisa fell down it as a baby,” Keenan said. O’Brien confirmed the story, but said other than some scars on her face, she was fine.
With its thick, concrete walls, wrap around porches, nine-foot ceiling, and tiled roof, it has the appearance of a grand European villa to this day. There have been some updates over the years, including the modernization of the kitchen, but the house maintains much of its original style.
Keenan and O’Brien said though it’s clearly time to find a new owner, moving on is difficult.
“It’s kind of hard, selling a house that’s been in the family for 85 years,” Keenan said.