They also engineered a trip to Krazy Tom’s where we purchased a new bed since the wee-we thought the one we had, upon which was printed its price, $69.99 for the mattress and box springs set, had seen better days. And, since the new set could not be delivered until after the wee-we and Annie left for Martha’s Vineyard, the wee-we opted to load the new purchase on the top of his Mercury Mountaineer and bring it home. We then spent the better part of the afternoon rearranging beds.

We now have the second floor back to three bedrooms with two baths and one junk room instead of two bedrooms, two baths and two junk rooms. The new bed is doing duty in the basement bedroom suite, which we took over a number of years ago now, and the wee-we’s childhood bunk beds are in the garage in need of a good home. Hopefully, in the near future, someone will, in the course of a conversation, say they are looking for a set of used bunk beds. If not, the next time the wee-we is home, the beds may find themselves at the curb with a large "FREE" sign attached to them.

Of course, the entire visit was not all work and no play. We did manage to take in the somewhat damp Fourth of July parade in Springfield Center. Unfortunately, because of the weather the Cooperstown Community Band concert was cancelled, but we did manage to stand in the rain to gather up our three chicken dinners which we, for the first time ever, brought home to eat.

And we did have the opportunity, while they were here, to eat out several times. And in the course of eating a late breakfast, we encountered two separate families, both of which we assumed were tourists, displaying what we thought was less than pleasant behavior. As we were waiting for a table, a mother in the family ahead of us said to someone leaving the restaurant, "I can’t say I’m sorry to see you go." Fortunately, that particular group gave up on the restaurant and went elsewhere. And, after breakfast, as we were getting up to leave, a waiting family swooped down on our table as they no doubt thought someone, we know not who, was going to grab it away from them. In the process, we found ourselves trapped between the mother, who was breathing down our neck, and the son, who grabbed the seat next to ours and promptly sat down. We were forced to point out that we really needed to be able to get away from the table and out of the restaurant, at which point the parents suggested that the son get up so that we could get by. He got up and we, thankfully, left.

However, during our excursion to Main Street, we must say that overall we did not encounter what seemed to be large numbers of visitors to the village. In fact, the wee-we thought there was virtually no one on the street. We have no idea if we simply hit a down time or whether there are indeed fewer people downtown this year as compared with previous years. But, since we do not plan to visit Main Street on a regular basis, we think we shall leave it to finer minds than ours to make any such determination.

We were somewhat surprised to read that the house at the top of Spring Street, which was built in the 1950’s by Dr. Mithoefer, was designed by an architect of note. Having been in the house, we actually thought its finest point was its view. Nonetheless, we decided, since our education regarding the Cincinnati architect Carl A. Strauss was sorely lacking, that we should do some quick research on him. Unfortunately, we discovered that there did not appear to be any such thing as quick research. In fact, we never did find anything which remotely resembled a bio of this architect.

We did learn that "SYNTHESIS Architecture + Planning is the continuation of Carl A. Strauss and Associates. Carl A. Strauss, FAIA was one of the most respected architects the Cincinnati Tri-State area has ever known. The office has been in business for over 50 years. Upon the retirement of Carl Strauss FAIA, in 2001, it was renamed, and is run by Alexander Christoforidis AIA, AICP, a registered architect and certified planner, as well as professor at the University of Cincinnati." We also learned, on a website devoted to the architecture of Cincinnati, that "Local architects such as James K. Wilson, James W. McLaughlin, Samuel Hannaford, Elzner & Anderson, Garber & Woodward, and Carl Strauss deserve more than local recognition." We found references to "Cincinnati’s leading and long-lived Modernist firm, Carl Strauss & Assocs." and "Dean of Cincinnati modern architects." But most of what we learned about Carl A. Strauss was found in information on other architects.

From the Saturday, July 20, 2002 obituary of Raymond R. Rousch, we learned "He was an associate of another celebrated Cincinnati Modernist, Carl Strauss, who died in January ... The best examples of a Strauss/ Roush design could be found in their own homes. But as former Enquirer architecture critic Owen Findsen wrote in 1985, Mr. Roush and Mr. Strauss had to struggle for acceptance in Cincinnati. Many of their clients were people who served on the board of the Contemporary Arts Center." We further learned that in 1952 "Architects Carl Strauss and Ray Roush and a young architect in their office, Michael Graves, remodel a large part of the lower floor of the Cincinnati Art Museum to serve as permanent exhibition galleries for the society. The Society’s membership subsequently votes to change the organization’s name to the Contemporary Arts Center."

And, having found an obituary for Mr. Roush, we were able to find at least part (we were too cheap to pay to read the entire obit) of Carl Strauss’ obit which stated "Mr. Strauss, 89, left behind an impressive legacy that includes dozens of homes in Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Zoo’s aquarium and �Flight Cage,’ the Riverbend Music Pavilion, and a generous history of philanthropy with groups such as the Cincinnati Art Museum, the Contemporary Arts Center, the Miami Purchase Association and Hillside Trust."

And finally, on a Cincinnati realtor’s website we found the following information: "They designed more than 100 structures in Cincinnati. They created some of the most unique buildings in the Midwest. They mentored men who changed the face of architecture throughout the world. They are Carl Strauss and Ray Roush. And they brought modernism to the Queen City. 35 years of their workáis exploredáin �A Hillside Firm,’ a half-hour-long documentary film ... The film includes high definition footage of nearly twenty Strauss & Roush homes in the greater Cincinnati area ... In just 30 minutes, this film will change the way you look at modern architecture."

In closing, although we never found an actual bio, we think we now know more about Carl A. Strauss than we did before. Unfortunately, none of what we found particularly convinced us that the house on Spring Street is "exceedingly significant" as one member of the Cooperstown Planning Board was quoted as saying. In fact we might tend to think that returning the area to its original splendor, when it was undeveloped, might prove to be more exceedingly significant.

We remain,

In these Otsego hills,

The Ellsworths

The Ellsworths may be reached by mail at 105 Pioneer Street, Cooperstown, N.Y. 13326, by telephone at 547-8124 or by e-mail at cellsworth1@stny.rr.com. They look forward to hearing from you.