After she dressed and did her hair, Ellen rode the elevator to the third floor. The former owner, an elderly lady, had sold the townhouse to the Lamberts for a price well below market value.The lady's grandmother had installed the elevator during the 1920s so that those family members and guests could travel effortlessly from one floor to the other.The elevator still performed at an optimal level with little need for servicing over the years.

Ellen loved the Art Deco designs ...