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One of the earliest houses on
the street, this 1908 brick center hall "American four-square" has
definite Prairie Style features. Although the shutters and sidelights adjacent
to the door are more traditional, the large hipped root, large panes of glass,
and lack of ornament at the cornice and portal suggest a more modern style.
Originally a porch extended across the entire front of the house and no doubt
added to the horizontal lines which were so strongly emphasized in the Prairie
School of Architecture.
The house has undergone many
changes over the years. Early in its history a library wing and living room bay
were added. A quarter-century ago, the stone terrace was added and the center
window of the bay replaced by a trench door.
In the last six years the
present owner has followed a continuous schedule of remodeling and
redecorating. Maple woodwork that had been painted brown has been stripped and
stained and the California furniture and Southwest Indian art and artifacts give
the entire house a light and airy look. The "rag technique" used on
the walls is almost a lost art; a glaze is applied and then wiped with a rag to
create subtle patterns.
In the dining room, the lintels
over the doors have been added, and the crown molding painted. The sconces and
chandelier are original. The living room fireplace is also original; its stone
facing is in fact plaster glazed to look like stone.
At the head of the stairs, a
former bath has been turned into a good-sized study. In the master bedroom the
fireplace is new, replacing one that had been plastered over. The leaded
windows are original, with some re-leading. A stairway leads down to a false
door.
The kitchen was gutted to the
exterior brick, then insulated; the ceiling was lowered, and a doorway removed.
A particularly intriguing
feature of this house is the wine cellar. Here the cement floor is overlaid
with a pattern of weathered bricks from an old patio. The maple backsplash is
hand-carved by a local artist. Any variation from the constant 550 temperature
will activate an alarm system. |