Barbara Salato revisits Drake Hall

Barbara Solato of Albia re-visits Drake Hall

Mrs. Solato’s older sister worked as a maid here in the Bradley home

90-something Albia, IA resident Barbara Salato saw the article written about Drake Hall in the Spring 2022 issue of Southern Iowa Living insert in the Ottumwa Herald newspaper and sent a hand-written letter to the reporter who wrote the story, Emily Hawk. In the letter, Mrs. Salato said she was so happy to learn that the Bradley mansion was going to be taken care of and restored. She went on to say that the mansion holds a special place in her heart, for when she was a little girl living in Centerville, she would tag along with her older sister who worked as a maid right here in the home. When Mrs. Salato and her daughter came over for a visit, Mrs. Salato had a twinkle in her eye as she recalled fond memories of being that little girl looking around amazed at the opulence of the Bradley mansion. She recounted how as a little girl, she and her older sister would enter through the service entrance door and not the main porte cochere door or the front door which were reserved for the family. We had her walk through the porte cochere door and Mrs. Solato almost seemed as if she were doing something naughty. We had a wonderful time hearing the living history of Mrs. Salato’s recollections of the neighborhood as well as being in the home over 80 years ago.