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By: milwhcky
@ 2013-01-04 17:23:30
Located on 30 acres of land, this three-story mansion was built in 1912 for Henry S. Cooper, one of three brothers who founded the Cooper Underwear Company - known today as Jockey International. Cooper died suddenly in this home in 1924.
In 1939, Oscar U. Zerk, inventor of the revolutionary Zerk grease fitting, purchased this estate. Among the over 300 inventions by the native Austrian were spatter-proof nail brushes, quick-freezing ice cube trays, leg-slimming hosiery, brakes for trolley cars, vibration-free camera tripods, oil well recovery systems, and automotive refrigeration equipment. He also helped design the first ever six-cylinder automobile engine in 1900.
In 1954, thieves tied Zerk to a chair in this house and made off with several of his valuable paintings and his car. The crime was never solved. Zerk died in 1968 at the age of 90.
In 1998, this home was filmed for the movie "The Last Great Ride" starring Ernest Borgnine, Eileen Brennan, and Jason Hervey.
Over time, the building deteriorated into a state of disrepair. In 2012, the property was purchased by local businessman Chris Tenuta, who considered the option of renovating the house. It proved to be too costly, so the decision was made to demolish the old house in order to build a new one.