This gracious Queen Anne-style home is an area that was platted by John Conner in 1851 just north and west of the original city boundaries. The home is believed to date to around 1885: a house with this same footprint appears in this location on the 1886 Sanborn Fire Insurance map, at the address of 181 Upper 9^th Street. Based on its design it may be the work of the Banes brothers, local builders and designers responsible for many of the city’s grandest 19^th century homes, including the William Culbertson Mansion and the Shipman-McCord House on East Main Street. Not much is known about this home’s earliest years, but by the 1903-1904 New Albany City Directory, the Funk family was residing here.
 
Joseph Potts Funk was the principal of New Albany High School from 1888 to 1903 and also served as the president of the Hoosier Brick Company. The Funk family was among the earliest settlers in neighboring Harrison County, and Dr. Funk began his career in Corydon before moving to New Albany. He and wife Eliza lived here along with several of their adult children, including Dr. Chester Funk, Alice Funk – a science teacher at NAHS – and Clara Funk. The photo below of some of the high school faculty in 1899, from the collection of the Indiana Room at the Floyd County Library, shows Prof. Funk, with Alice behind him in the top row. 



Professor Funk died of stomach cancer in August 1904 and was laid to rest in New Albany’s Fairview Cemetery. Eliza continued to reside here until her death in 1923, transferring ownership of the property to her children in February 1912. Chester eventually moved out to his own home and office at 315 East Spring Street, but his sister Alice remained here until her death in June 1939. Clara Funk continued to live at the family home until she passed in August 1953, ending fifty years of occupancy by the Funks.
 
The home then appears to have been used as a rental for some time, until it was purchased in July 1976 by the next owner-occupants, Johnny and Thelma Key. Mr. Key was an employee of Bruce Fox, Inc., the New Albany firm well known for its design and manufacture of artistic metalwork pieces, home wares and plaques. The Keys owned the house through 1995, when it was purchased by Kevin and Tina Chesher. The current ownership group purchased the house from the Chesher family in April 2023 and has undertaken a full-scale rehabilitation over the past year and a half.  
 
The Funk House offers an abundance of living space, with 2800 square feet including four bedrooms and three full bathrooms. The house is a gabled-ell form, with restrained Queen Anne details. The gables feature a sunburst motif, framed by wide trim and the long header of the attic windows below. The clipped corners on the second story are accented with brackets and an acorn pendant. The house features three porches, including the front porch and a large, ornate side porch that was added in the 1890s.



The original, wooden front porch had been removed previously but a new porch with a pergola roof and planter box railings was rebuilt on its footprint. The exterior is clad in aluminum siding, freshly painted with a tasteful color scheme that highlights the home’s architectural details. The plumbing, electric and HVAC systems were all replaced as part of the recent rehabilitation, in addition to a new roof and rebuilt box gutters. The home retains most of its original, two-over-two double-hung windows, which have also been repaired and repainted.


 
The original front door – topped with a single-lite transom – opens into a bright and spacious entry hall. This space features the 10-foot ceilings and original woodwork that is found throughout the first floor. The large living room is centrally located in the house, in what was likely originally the dining room.



This bright and inviting space includes the bay window on the side of the house as well as built-in shelving. The adjacent kitchen has been completely updated and is a show-stopper: it includes a huge island, lots of cabinet space, new stainless steel appliances, and a (decorative) fireplace with an iron mantelpiece.



The kitchen also provides plenty of space for a dining area, as well as a large pantry and access to a side porch. Two bedrooms are located on the main level. The bedroom at the front of the house has a walk-in closet and a second decorative fireplace, with a slightly different iron mantel.



The owners’ suite is located at the rear of the first floor and boasts a huge, spa-like bathroom and walk-in closet. The main level also includes a good-sized laundry room and a second full bathroom.  


 
The original staircase – with a paneled lower wall, turned spindles and a chamfered, square newel post – leads from the entry hall upstairs. At the top of the stairs, a signature from a wallpaper hanger who worked here in 1893 has been left exposed to highlight the home’s history.



Two more bedrooms are located on this level, both of which are carpeted and include a good-sized closet, and the front bedroom includes another decorative fireplace mantel. The spacious full bathroom upstairs has been completely updated with a period character, with black and white hexagonal tile flooring and a clawfoot tub. An additional small room on this level could be a cozy home office or playroom.


 
The home sits on a large lot with both the front and back yards fenced. A period garage sits at the alley, with off-street parking located adjacent. Additional off-street parking is available on a gravel area in the side yard.