According to article 23 in From the Widow’s Walk, by Helen Hansen and Virginia Steinemann (Follett House Museum, 1991), the stone cottage that once stood at 115 West Monroe Street was built from local stone to provide housing for local quarry workers. In the early days of the city, there were quarries on both East and West Park Streets.
Lucas Beecher originally owned the property. Mr. Beecher sold the property to Felix Breen, a stone mason, who lived in the cottage for over thirty years. The son of Felix, James Breen, sold the property to John Gottlieb Epple. Mr. Epple rented the stone cottage out to the William McCudden family in the first half of the twentieth century. From about 1950 to the early 1960s, Carl and Jane Miller rented the cottage from Frederick Epple, and they ran The Book Shop at that location. Eventually, they sold antiques as well as books.
Here is a bookmark from The Book Shop, which points out their commitment to good customer service:
In 1963 all the structures that had once stood at the northwest corner of Columbus Avenue and West Monroe Street were demolished and the property was given to the city of Sandusky. Epple Corner Park is now a part of the city of Sandusky’s Park system.
