Famed property opened for public view
WARREN — After being sealed off from public view for decades, the infamous Jamiel House located at 33 Miller St. is up for sale. Now that it’s on the market the public has the chance to peer inside one of the most renowned and visually eye-grabbing properties in the East Bay.
According to Newport-based broker Liz Taber, the house has been sealed in a probate sale, meaning the public has not had access to the house and certain details on the building cannot be released due to a court mandate. However, it is known that the Federal-era house was built for Revolutionary War hero Nathan Miller in 1789 and then expanded in 1802. In 1955, the house was bought by Amon Jamiel, owner of the legendary Warren hardware store, “The House of a Million Items.” After he was murdered in a bathroom in the late 1970s, his widow Marcelle Jamiel lived in the house with her two sons Jonathan and Mark.
Jonathan became the owner of the house and is now attempting to sell it. His mother, Marcelle, passed away last January. He is hoping a buyer will restore the home to its original luster. When talking about his mother’s passing, he pulled a picture of her vacationing in Puerto Rico from his wallet.
The house
The home’s interior is defined by French scenic wallpaper and Depression-era moldings. Grand ceilings are decorated with ornate chandeliers. Bathrooms throughout the house feature pink toilets and colorful striped curtains. A portrait of one of the Jamiels, possibly one of the brothers who passed away when he was 14, hangs in the formal living room above a fireplace.
Because the house has been owned by a handful of families throughout the centuries, certain modernizations have been made.
“Every family has added their own mark,” said Ms. Taber.
A smattering of furniture, some antique, is placed throughout the house. Stacks of books such as “An Outline of Occult Science” by H. G. Wells and “The Helmet of Navarre” by Bertham Runkle are piled in entranceways, tucked in crawlspaces, and collected in huge bookcases, some in the attic. In one of the attic’s rooms, two mattresses are located on the floor, possibly a space for teenagers to hang out, speculated Ms. Taber. A vintage poster of Raquel Welch is stapled to the wall.
Each room is distinctive, said Ms. Taber, as the bedrooms each have their own style. Some have laced bed covers and mahogany dressers. Others are outfitted with hot pink comforters. On the second floor, there is an 18th century sleeping porch. According to Ms. Taber, some of the more prominent colonial families used these to keep cool in the summer months.
The bathroom attached to the main dining room is small but has a porthole located high on the wall that peers into an adjacent kitchen. Another bathroom, the only one with a shower, has dark wallpaper depicting large white birds.
Zoning
The massive house is zoned as a two-family. It has 15 rooms; five bedrooms, eight working fireplaces, a garage, all located on just under an acre of property in the heart of downtown. It’s fenced in and houses copper beech trees, some look to be over 100 years old. The uneven walkway that circles around the basement is made of brick and hails back to the 1700s.
According to Ms. Taber, the structure of the house is sound though renovations need to be done to the home. In one of the main bedrooms, the corners of the walls are taped to seal out a draft. But in the basement, the foundation made of old rocks is solid.
One of the more notable features of the basement is the tunnel made of brick that allegedly leads to the Warren River, according to owner Jonathan Jamiel. He said the area of Miller Street located between the house and the water used to be all woods. Cargo was shipped through the tunnel.
“They would bring different things into the building,” said Mr. Jamiel.
The house has a listing price of $995,000 but according to Ms. Taber, it is currently appraised as a tax value of $500,000 and tax credits could be allocated towards renovations in keeping with the historical significance.
Potential buyers
There have been about 10 parties interested in the house, which is considered prime real estate in town due its historical roots and unusual layout. Some of the more serious contenders have been members of the Warren Preservation Society and an attorney from Boston who is interested in restoration. Neighbors have also been interested in buying the house. Ms. Taber said Mr. Jamiel is most interested in seeing the house renovated.
“He wants to see it brought back,” said Ms. Taber.
If those walls could speak, oh the stories they would tell. Once a happy home and now an empty shell. Guess it has come full circle from when Mr. Amon Jamiel purchased it. Very sad.....
The fourteen year old that passed was their oldest son, Richard.
Perhaps a fresh coat of paint would help sell what was once one of the "landmark" homes of Warren. It looks like a dump form the front.
Since the passing of Mrs. Jamiel and since the son Mark has moved out of the building, the building and property have deterioriated and become an eye sore.
If the walls could talk, they would probably tell us who murdered Amon as if we all don't know that the fingers are pointed at an unnamed family member, maybe the current owner.
Amazing how when a Jamiel dies all the other Jamiels swoop in like vultures too pick at the carcass and be sure that they get what they feel they are entitled too. But Justice is never served.
When Amon was murdered, it was believed that his wife cleaned up the murder scene along with her son Johnathan and no one filed charges for destruction of a crime scene or interfering with an investigation. Amazing how corrupt RI is.
When a Judge can sit in on a case that he is directly connected to and it takes more that a request for recusal, doesn't that seem to be strange. When a brother dies and all you care about is getting the property doesn't that say something.
The sale of this property will hopefully put this whole shameful stain on Warren away and maybe, just maybe, the Police, the AG and everyone else will finally prosecute the scum bag who has inflicted such pain on some members of this family and members of the respected community of Warren, RI.
