This home was originally located a few lots to the west, at 510 East Market Street. Mrs. Rachael Bauer was one of the first residents, listed here in the 1860 New Albany City Directory. George Wilt, one of the victims of the explosion of the steamer, B.F. Devol, resided here from 1863 through 1865.
 
By 1868, the Isaac and Hannah Wiley family was living here and would remain for the next three decades. Isaac, familiarly known as “Boss Wiley,” had a blacksmith shop at the corner of East Fifth and Market streets where his son Alfred also worked. Alfred would eventually take over the business with his father’s passing in September 1886. Hannah passed away in December 1890, and Alfred Wiley sold the property in March 1898.
 
At that time, the Ohio Valley Telephone Company purchased 100 feet of property fronting Market Street from the corner of East Fifth Street - including the lot at 510 East Market - for $1650.00. It was probably at this time when the house was moved to its present site. The telephone company then built a telephone exchange building on the corner facing Fifth Street, which survives today as the VFW hall.
 
Frank and Harriett Norton owned the lot at 518 East Market, having purchased it in March 1892, and lived next door at 522 East Market. The Nortons used this house for rental purposes for the next twenty-one years. One occupant was Stonewall Jackson Gardner, founder and president of the S.J. Gardner Foundry & Machine Co., located at West First Street and the Ohio River.
 
In March 1919, Edward and Mary Mayes purchased the house. Mr. Mayes was a druggist with Charles D. Knoefel, and after Knoefel’s retirement, he took over the thriving downtown New Albany drugstore business, located at 110-112 East Market Street. A year after the purchase of the home, however, Edward committed suicide at the age of 52. His widow Mary continued operating the drugstore through 1935. She also remained in the house until the late 1930s, although it appears that she had divided it into two living units as early as 1933. Mary Mayes passed away in February 1942 at 75 years of age. The house remained divided into apartments – and sat vacant for several years – before it was purchased and rehabilitated by local developer Andy Carter in 2017, earning a ‘Facelift Award’ from the New Albany Historic Preservation Commission.
 
The Wiley-Mayes House features 2448 square feet of living space, including four bedrooms and 2 ½ bathrooms. The front of the house has clapboard siding, while the secondary elevations are clad in aluminum siding. The house retains its historic double-hung wood windows, which have been restored and have had storm windows added for extra energy efficiency. A full-width front porch with beadboard ceiling extends across the façade; this had been enclosed but was reopened as part of the rehabilitation project, using ghost marks to recreate the design of the original posts. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps show that the porch was added when the house was moved; in its original location, the house sat adjacent to the sidewalk and did not have a porch.  


 
A Craftsman-style multi-light front door with a narrow transom above opens from the front porch into the foyer. Original, refinished wood floors are seen here and throughout much of the house, as well as original woodwork and four-panel doors, some with transoms above.



The front parlor opens off the hall and includes a fireplace with a wooden mantel with tile surround and ornate metal cover, with an exposed brick chimney. A wide opening leads into the spacious dining room. This room likely also had a fireplace, but the mantel has been removed and replaced with a stove.



Another oversized opening – with double doors with frosted glass – leads from the dining room into a room perfect for use as a home office or another bedroom. The adjacent kitchen has been completely updated, with abundant white cabinetry, plenty of counter space, and a large island. The kitchen also provides walk-out access to a covered patio. An updated half bathroom and laundry room are also located on this level.



 
A graceful staircase curves gently from the hall to the second level. It features an oak newel and railing and turned balusters. Physical evidence seems to indicate that there was once a secondary staircase in the rear of the house, but it has since been removed. Refinished hardwood floors are exposed in several of the upstairs rooms, and original woodwork remains, some of which displays a hand-grained finish.



The spacious primary bedroom contains the home’s second fireplace mantel with decorative tile surround, and also offers a huge walk-in closet. The attached full bathroom has been tastefully updated with a period feel but contains all the modern amenities. Two other bright and spacious bedrooms are found on this level - one carpeted and one with hardwood flooring exposed – as well as a second full bathroom.

 
 
The home sits on a fenced, private lot within easy reach of downtown. The shaded, landscaped back yard includes a covered patio overlooking an inground swimming pool, perfect for entertaining.


 
The home is located within the locally-designated East Spring Street Historic District; therefore, any exterior alterations must be reviewed and approved by the city’s Historic Preservation Commission. For more information about the Commission, and a copy of the design guidelines for work in the city’s historic districts, please visit www.newalbanypreservation.com. The East Spring Street Historic District is also listed in the National Register of Historic Places, which would qualify the owner to take advantage of tax credits to help recoup a portion of qualified rehabilitation costs. More information is available here: https://www.in.gov/dnr/historic-preservation/financial-assistance/residential-tax-credit/.