Original owners Frederick Cowles & Annie B. Crowell Herrick would likely be delighted by the restoration completed by the current owners of this Tudor Revival home. Completed in 1917, the home was among the first designs by the partnership of prominent architects Meade & Hamilton. Dr. Herrick died in 1943 and his wife lived in the house until 1957. Dr. Herrick graduated from Central High School, received his medical degree from Western Reserve University and practiced general medicine in Cleveland with a specialty in "abdominal diseases." He was an instructor of surgery at Western Reserve University Medical School and at Charity Hospital. Dr. Herrick played tennis and enjoyed horseback riding.

Meade & Hamilton created an iconic Tudor Revival design on a grand scale, with steeply-pitched roofs, large central gable, brick-clad first floor, decorative halftimbering and stucco above, tall narrow windows clustered in groups, and semi-hexagonal porch & window bays. A massive front door centered under the main front gable is set back in a semi-hexagonal porch. As was often the case, the design as built varies from the original architectural drawings.

The 2005 restoration was a true labor of love, investing in the next hundred years of this home's life with new kitchen & bathrooms, stunning new roof and copper detailing, restored interior details, new boilers and pipes, new windows, and central heating & cooling. The current homeowners were drawn to the home for its surprisingly comfortable human scale; even though the rooms are large and highceilinged, they don't overwhelm. Contemporary and local artists' paintings are found throughout the house, balancing the traditional formality of the home with, by turns, subtle or vivid color and texture.

A massive wood staircase climbs the center of the home, connecting the main level, the bedroom level, and the 3rd floor in one vertically sprawling volume, giving a feeling of connection between the floors. In the foyer, a telephone closet is behind the sunroom door, and surprisingly for the time, a door into the attached garage.

New dark wood built-in cabinets and shelves in the library and the faux beams in the ceiling all match the original cabinetry and style flawlessly; rich paint colors give gravity. Across the foyer, the living room has a light elegance, with white-painted woodwork and mantel. Behind the living room is the tiled sunroom, originally an open porch. Delicate blue hand-painted wallpaper in the dining room has survived the entire life of the home. The room is oblong in shape, almost an oval. Glass French doors at the far end open into the garden.

One long kitchen serves modern family life, replacing three smaller rooms, where the family kitchen and maid's kitchen were bisected by the butler's pantry. Tiled floor with radiant heating, white cottage-style cabinets, copper fixtures, and an aged copper hood bring a cozy feeling. Around the corner, the servants' stairs have been opened up; where there was once a wall is now a railing, which gives a more welcoming feeling to this functional passage. The original incinerator chute door can be seen in the wall near the bottom of the stairs.

Up the sweeping foyer staircase, the master bedroom suite occupies the front of the home. The former fur storage vault is now a closet; a former wood-burning fireplace has been converted to gas. The master bathroom has a steam shower and vintage-feeling tub tucked into the window bay, also visible from the outside. A former sleeping porch is now an enclosed lounge area that overlooks the backyard.

Up the grand staircase once more, the top floor now hosts a family recreation room and the former servants' suite. The north end of the 3rd floor holds servants'quarters, where the bedrooms have original sinks, and servants shared a bathroom. This Harcourt gem has been renewed and restored, and is once again a premier Cleveland Heights treasure.

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