The future of this beautiful house in Seymour Street is under a cloud. It was built in the late 1920s by Traralgon businessman and former Shire councillor, Mr Jimmy Rogers. His son, Ron, recalls that there were 45,000 bricks used in its construction. The bricks were manufactured at Wiggs Brick Quarry, located in Hickox Street, Traralgon. Ron and his friend, Freddy Watson, carted the bricks from the quarry to the Seymour Street site in Mr Rogers’ truck.

The front verandah of the house is made of Italian Terrazzo marble, as are the floor and walls of the bathroom; Italian workmen installed all the marble areas. Interior wood panelling extends from the front entrance along the hall to the bathroom area. This wood panelling was french polished by an expert who, Ron remembers, was ‘deaf and dumb’.

Mr Jimmy Rogers also built two other houses on the west side of their family home. They were concrete buildings and the Anderson family (‘Andersons the bakers’, as they were commonly known) lived in one which is now Neilsons Restaurant.

Other buildings built by Mr Rogers include several shops on the south end of Franklin Street. They were the grocery store run by Mr Alf Brereton, husband of Agnes and uncle of Mr Ron Rogers; the fish and chip shop and cafe run by Mr Tony Tonopolous; and the sporting goods store run by Mr Scotty Webber. He also built three shops on corner of Hotham and Franklin Streets, where Keith Williams Estate Agency now operates, these shops being Mr Rogers’ furniture store; Williams the Shoemen; and Stammers Tailoring and Men’s Store.

Prior to turning his hand to building and developing, Mr Rogers operated a market style business from this area.