Lauren and Alice Trescott purchased the home around the same time that Broadway School was built. Alice was employed at the school as a teacher for many years. Lauren was known for his large garden and was often found tinkering around the house. Many people have made mention that Alice enjoyed having friends over for coffee and loved caring for her home. It was at some point during the Trescott years that the wall separating the viewing room and the sunroom was removed. This greatly increased the size of room and allowed much more light to enter the home. Alice and Lauren raised two children Mary and Chip. The home became known to my generation as the Trescott Home. Riding the school bus, I remember thinking how beautiful and unique the home was, it always had a pleasant look and I wondered what the inside was like. The round top door and windows made it unique to me. After 34 years of calling 1126 Broadway, home Alice died in 1996 and Lauren’s health declined. Mary Trescott Anderson sold the property to the Elmira City School District in the winter of 1997.

In the fall of that same year I decided that opening my own funeral home could be more than just a dream. Realizing the Old Trescott Home appeared empty I took a walk around the property with a knowledgeable friend and coworker who had accomplished years earlier what I was about to attempt. If it were possible to purchase, I had just stumbled across my new funeral home. The following morning it all began. The Elmira City School District purchased the property as a means of adding more land to their own. Their question became now what to do with the home itself? Among the options were to physically move the home to another location, use the home for offices with the school or demolition. It was at that same time the School Board rethought their plan and sold me the home, only then had our work begun.

The year that followed is one that none of us will ever forget. The first hurdle was to change the zoning from a residential listing to an allowable use for a funeral home. With the help of the Town of Southport we achieved that in a period of a few months. Now with the green light from the planning board the challenge became that of turning a one family, 5 bedroom home into a functional funeral home as well as a place for myself to live. We began in the basement and moved upward. First the complete replacement of the plumbing along with the updating of the electrical which was original to the home. Two full sized dumpsters later and we were just beginning. It was decided that of the four bedrooms on the second floor would be remodeled into living quarters.  The expansive loft on the third floor would remain additional living space as well. Now that I had a place to call home, we began the labor intensive task of renovating the whole first floor into the funeral home. The old kitchen was demolished to allow for the new modern preparation room to be constructed. What was a little restroom off the side hall and a pantry off the old kitchen were joined to allow for a barrier free restroom. The first floor rooms originally had only two ceiling lights, the lighting had to be up dated through out the home. To keep the look of the home original the present restroom door and frame were moved from the entrance way and a duplicate copy of the existing arches was constructed by my father, Art Caywood. Many hours were spent deciding the look the interior would have. The floral custom made draperies give the home an elegance from a bye gone era. We found the property unique for being located in town with almost an acre of land. The woods were overgrown and were extending over the side walk. I saw this as an opportunity to develop something different to our area. It was most important to leave as much as possible unchanged. My mother, Montene Caywood was quick to remind us that a tree takes decades to grow to adulthood and only minutes to destroy. Little by little we systematically removed what we could not save leaving what we felt would create a park atmosphere. The Gazebo was constructed by the Amish People in PA and delivered on a flat bed truck. Most of the stone used for various projects was located on the property where the old stream used to pass thru what are now the Gardens. The stream was eliminated many years ago and in Chapel Park is now diverted directly into Seely Creek. 

Following our opening in 1998 the community has been so supportive in accepting a new funeral home to the area. To better serve our families we are beginning an addition. This will allow us to provide to larger families, more seating area for services held at the funeral home. In keeping with the charm of the home what is now the viewing room will be turned into a sitting room called the Music Study. This room will have a Grand Piano and Antique Victrola as well as a working fireplace which will provide families a comfortable place to gather.