Why is the Smith family house at 820 Fourth Ave. SW called the "Ianthe Smith House?" Ianthe Smith was a writer for the Albany Democrat-Herald and was highly regarded in Albany -- is this the reason for naming the home she lived in as hers?
A: (Answered by Marilyn Smith, Public Information Officer)
The names on historic homes in Albany are determined in one of two ways -- the most common is to give them the name of the family that built the house, or the name of a notable Albany person who lived there. The Smiths did not build the house at 820 Fourth Ave. SW, but were, as far as our records show, at least the third owners. Ianthe Smith lived in the house longer than any one else in the family. She worked at the Democrat-Herald writing what was then called society or women's news. She retired in the late 1960s.Another house named for a noted resident is at 724 Calapooia St. SW, where Abigail Scott Duniway once lived.More information about Albany's historic districts is available on our Web site under Historic Resources.