Page 10 - Focus Regional: History & Mystery

PHOTOS - ABOVE (FROM LEFT): The sign made by Pitts’ daughters still marks the location of their childhood hangout. • One of four guest bedrooms, the
gold room is the one requested most. • The hardwood floors on the second floor were well preserved under carpet, an exciting surprise for Zumwalt
and Wiles • Next to the living room of the Clary Sage is a pool table for guests to enjoy.

Wiles bought the home, the stairs and 2nd floor, which is where people who lived here for a short time, almost like a commune.
the guest rooms are, were carpeted. They were pleased when they The neighbors said there were some weird comings and goings.”
removed the carpet and discovered that the hardwood floors were “Funny business going on in the basement,” adds Zumwalt,
well preserved and in near perfect condition. Zumwalt and Wiles continuing, “what’s interesting is we have heard several people say
even stumbled upon and salvaged the original molding that had this, just randomly talking about the house, so I think there must
been carefully removed and stored in the attic. Wiles reiterates be something to it.”
how fortunate they were with the condition of the home and that
previous owners cared for it as much as they do now. Aside from the blur in the 70s, there have been relatively few
owners over the years for such an old estate. Local attorney T.
There was, however, a brief period in the 1970s when there were Calder Ezell owned the property for a few years until 1984 when
a few occupants moving in and out, including a man who possibly he sold it to his co-worker, Alan Pitts, who lived there until he
had ties to the CIA and even one celebrity. If you have ever seen sold the home to Zumwalt and Wiles in 2014, who mention how
a commercial for Nair Hair Removal, you have probably had the fortunate they were to move in after Pitts. “He took care of the
lyric, “Who wears short shorts,” stuck in your head before. “Short stuff you think about on an old home you would have to fix, the
Shorts” was the one hit wonder by the band The Royal Teens, plumbing, electrical, you know the roof is clay tile…he had the
co-written by the band’s drummer, Tom Austin, who called 312 whole place repainted,” explains Wiles. The home was well loved
N. Lea Ave. home for a spell. Zumwalt reached out to people on by the Pitts family. If you venture down the stairway that leads to
the “Remembering Roswell” Facebook page to see if anyone had the basement you will pass a tiny door that opens to a spacious
information about her new home and connected with a couple of cubby where their daughters played as young girls and is still
boys who lived in the neighborhood back then and remembered marked to this day by a sign that reads, “Pitts Palace.”
coming into the home and seeing Austin’s gold record on the wall.
During this period of occupant uncertainty, Wiles shares that they When converting the home into a B&B, Zumwalt wanted to
have heard stories from several people that “there was a group of convey to her guests a sense of peace and tranquility. When

PHOTOS - BELOW (FROM LEFT): The kitchen has been remodeled since White built the home and provides more space now to cook for guests. • Second
owner, Langford Keith added the large mirror above the fireplace and wooden built-ins.

10 FOCUS ON HISTORY & MYSTERY | 2017