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Homes tour: Holland-Robinson house is one of most imposing
By Nancy Hendryx / Special to the Avalanche
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Holland-Robinson home was built around 1907.
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Holland-Robinson home at 103 North 11th Street, which is one of five residences on Alpine’s Christmas Historic Tour of Homes, is one of the more imposing of Alpine’s historic homes.
It was built by John Holland about the same time he built the Holland Hotel in 1907.
He had purchased the lots in Gillis Addition Block A as early as 1903. He put the finest elements in the home, ordering the mantel from England.
The original front entry and staircase in the “Great Hall” are worthy of fine dwellings of the period in any major U.S. city.
Widowed in 1922, Molly Holland sold the home in 1923 to Dr. M.L. Turney, who ran a hospital with the aid of his wife, a trained nurse.
Dr. Turney died in 1929 but his wife, with the help of two young physicians, kept the hospital open until 1935.
Forrest Robinson, a longtime resident and merchant in Alpine and first paid director of the Chamber of Commerce in 1928, bought the house.
In 1943, he was followed home from work and held up at gunpoint. A struggle ensured, his daughter and wife tried to assist, but Robinson was fatally shot.
The killer ran, without gaining his objective of money, and in spite of being seen by several people was never apprehended.
Robinson’s family continued to own the home until 1978.
The Holland-Robinson home is currently the residence of Mike and Barbara Barclay.
The Christmas Tour of Homes will be Dec. 13.
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