Estate of Lyons M. Mussina
- Yen Ho
- Oct 2
- 3 min read
As Ambler began to develop into a growing community, big estates still remain in some parts of the borough, and one of the homes that still stands til this day was the home of Lyons Mussina on Tennis Avenue. It is currently a funeral home.
Lyons M. Mussina's Family
Lyons Mussina descended from his namesake great-grandfather Lyons Mussina (1768-1818) who emigrated to Philadelphia in 1786 from a Jewish community in Poland. After arriving in Philadelphia, he travelled to Aaronsburg, PA in Centre County where he became a storekeeper. His son Henry (1803-1869) took over the building after his death.
Fun Fact # 1: Lyons Mussina was considered one of the early American Jews to emigrate to the US.
Lyons Mussina (1827-1921) was born in Aaronsburg, PA where he attended public schools. In 1844, he went to Huntington, PA where he learned the printing business. He continued traveling around the state where he worked as a clerk. In 1851, he edited the Clinton Democrat newspaper in Lock Haven, PA with George A. Crawford. Lyons went on to build up his business career and created the mercantile business firm Myers & Mussina where he was a paying teller. He later became a cashier at the Lock Haven National Bank, and held that position for 20 years. While as a cashier, he partnered with Thomas Reed to create the coal, feed and ice business firm Reed & Mussina.
During his time in Clinton County, he was treasurer of the county in 1854, and in 1890, he was elected the county commissioner.
He owned a house in Lock Haven since 1848. There he built his home in 1869 that was unfortunately ravaged by Hurricane Agnes in 1972.
Moving to Ambler
While his son James (1864-1953) lived at his property and following his footsteps in politics, his other son Lyons M. Mussina (1857-1936) decided to venture out with his family and his wife's sister's family to Ambler in 1886. His father in-law was Peter Schemm, a famous brewer in Philadelphia. Unfortunately during that time, his wife passed away. He and his daughter "Lulu" stayed at the Ambler Hotel until they decided to buy their own property near Ambler High School. That was where Lyons built his large estate.
Some time in the early 1900s, he returned to his hometown in Lock Haven.
Architecture
Based on the facade of the building and when Lyons Mussina moved to Ambler, I would think it would most likely be a typical Victorian-style house, but it lacked the elaborate decorations and ornaments. After doing research on the architectural style of the home, I came to my conclusion the home fits the style of Colonial Revival with these certain features the home has:
Symmetrical design with a central front door
Multi-pane windows
Dormers
Hipped Roof
Bibliography
Furey, J. Milton. Historical and Biographical Work: Or, Past and Present of Clinton County [Pa., Comprising a Sketch of Every Town and Township ... Biographical Sketches of Many Prominent Citizens ... and a Complete History of All Murders, Floods, and Other Important Events that Have Occurred in Clinton County. (Williamsport: Pennsylvania Grit Printing House, 1892): 190-191.
Historic American Buildings Survey, Creator, George Hipple, G Raymond Smeltz, Luther L Delp, Melissa McDonald, G Satchell, D Altland, and A Devethizy, Frey, John P, photographer. Lyons Mussina House, 123 North Jay Street, Lock Haven, Clinton County, PA. Clinton County Lock Haven Pennsylvania, 1933. Documentation Compiled After. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/pa1428/.
McAlester, Virginia Savage. A Field Guide to American Houses: The Definitive Guide to Identifying and Understanding America's Domestic Architecture. (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2013): 409-432.
Mueller, A. H. Atlas of the North Penn Section of Montgomery County, Pa., Plate 26, 1916.
"Obituary: Lyons Mackey Mussina." Ambler Gazette. October 1, 1936. Page 4. https://digitalarchives.powerlibrary.org/papd/islandora/object/papd%3Awivp-gazett_23441.
Rosenwaike, Ira. "The Mussina Family: Early American Jews?" American Jewish History 75, No. 4 (1986): 397-404.
Smith, J.L. Montgomery County 1893, Ambler Borough, 1893.
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