The Corey House was built in 1880-1881 for a dentist office. Now it is a guest house. Read further to learn how the house became the "Corey Guest House".

The house was an office providing dental services when it was built in 1880-1881, has been a photograph gallery, single-family residence, apartments during World War II, site of a home decor and women's clothing business, and a piano studio, and now has opened as the Corey Guest House.

Kenneth McClintock, local historian, said that when Dr. Ewing Smith built the house in 1880-1881, he was living in Emporia and had been coming to Council Grove periodically to perform dental services. Prior to having the house available, he would advertise for area residents to "bring in all your ailing teeth" to where he would be located in one of the local hotels.

In the fall of 1878, Dr. Smith and his wife moved to Council Grove and he established an office in the Case building, over the Estlin store (which at that time was located at 115 West Main Street--the eastern-most of the three store fronts now occupied by Aldrich Apothecary).

The Smiths sold what later would be known as the Corey House in 1885. They moved to Florida and then he returned to Council Grove in the summer of 1899 to resume his practice of dentistry in an office over Farmers and Drovers Bank.

By the spring of 1886, Professor Albert Terwilliger and family were living in the house, which is partly occupied by a photograph gallery. Terwilliger was a musician and taught piano lessons in the community. He was a brother of William Riley Terwilliger, one-time owner of the Terwilliger home at 803 West Main Street.

After a series of owners, the house at 16 South Neosho Street was sold in 1918 to Dr. F.G. Corey, for whom the house is now named.

Dr. Corey was an early dentist in Council Grove who started a practice there in 1891. His offices were various locations during the years, at one time over the Council Grove National Bank in the 1890's and early 1900's.

McClintock said that Dr. Corey was the developer of Powderfoam Dentifrice, which was manufactured in Council Grove for a number of years in the early part of the 20th century.

Some small additions were made at the back of the Corey House, and McClintock said it appears the front porch was reconstructed in 1920. Dr. Smith occupied the house until his death in 1932.

During World War II, the house was modified to create an apartment upstairs and one downstairs, for personnel serving at the Army Air field north of Delavan. It continued as an apartment house for some years after the war and eventually returned to a single living dwelling.

Kathy Michaelis operated her home decor and women's clothing business there for a few years under the name Corey House. She relocated the business in early 1993 to 113 West Main Street, and renamed it Trowbridge Classics.

The Corey House has been a single-family residence the past 11 years occupied by Warren and Faye Hoch and Robert Caywood who also had a piano studio in one of the parlors.

Recently, the brick house with its mansard roof at 16 South Neosho Street, described as being of the Second Empire style, was purchased by Harold and Kelly Gaston. The Gastons purchased the Corey House with the thought of making it into a bed and breakfast. Instead, it will be rented as a single unit, and the owners say it will be great for romantic weekends, anniversaries, company overflow, university functions, reunions, or corporate travel and retreats.

The house is basically the same as it was when occupied by the last two families. Mr. and Mrs. Gaston said they are not competing with the Cottage House, but wanted to offer something different for families, reunions, retreats, etc., where the group can share the house.