Levi & Ellen Hancock Home

304 East 100 North

Built in 1881–1882, the Levi and Ellen Hancock Home is a beautiful example of nineteenth-century Italianate architecture. With its distinctive hip roof, rounded windows, and walls of locally quarried pot rock, the two-story home has been a familiar part of Midway's landscape for more than 140 years.

Levi Ward Hancock made his early fortune in the mining industry, working in and owning mines in California and Nevada before settling in Midway. Around 1881, he purchased the land for the home from Agnes O'Neil, the mother of his future bride, Ellen. The couple married in 1883 and raised six children here. Levi continued his involvement in mining until his death in 1911.

The house was built in the Italianate style, popular during the latter half of the nineteenth century. Its original cross-wing design remains intact, and the unusual round windows on the west end are among its most charming architectural details. Although the front porch was added much later, the home retains much of its original appearance.

After Levi's death, Ellen married miner Charles Henry Whistler in 1914. She retained ownership of the home until 1934, when she sold it to the Draper family, who took great care to maintain the property.

Unfortunately, the house didn't always receive the same attention. By the time Kendall and Tracy Winner purchased it in 1996, the roof was leaking and the once-beautiful home had fallen into serious disrepair. Rather than give up on it, the Winners began the difficult work of restoring the property.

Their efforts marked the beginning of a remarkable succession of owners committed to bringing the house back to life. Frank and Pamela Zupo continued the restoration after purchasing it in 1998, followed by Sonja and Blaine Dabb in 2007. When the Dabbs sold the home in 2012, it had benefited from more than a decade of dedicated preservation work.

Today, the Hancock home stands as a testament to what thoughtful restoration can accomplish. Thanks to the efforts of several families who recognized its value, this distinctive piece of Midway's architectural history has been given a new chapter.