“The late J. E. Toops home, which was built about 1883, was originally a one story structure with a front parlor, a back parlor, two bedrooms, a dining room, a kitchen, a large pantry, and a bathroom. The house was heated with hot air registers in the floor. Cooking was done by a range. Nine years later a second story with four bedrooms and a bath was added. The front porch was built all around the front of the house with a front door on the west and a side door on the south. The heating system was converted to steam heat with a radiator in every room. At first they had gas lights, but when Homer Genung brought electricity to Fort Branch they were proud to convert to electricity. The silver fixtures in the parlor and library are still very beautiful [as of 1976]. The dining room and the reception room have lovely fixtures, too. The house has large closets with built-in drawers in the clothes closets. There used to be a call system in the kitchen by which one could call to each room in the house. This lovely home is now [as of 1976] owned by Robert L. and Cora Harper, an interior decorator, who has displayed her talent throughout the house.”
The quoted text and photo above were directly taken from the Fort Branch Bicentennial booklet, “Fort Branch Heritage Days (June 11, 12, & 13, 1976): A Community Bicentennial Celebration”. A copy of this book can be found at the Fort Branch Public Library.