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This American Foursquare was built in 1908 in Kransz’s 2nd addition to Edgewater. It was built by the Kransz Weber company with a brick foundation and narrow board siding. On this block, the building materials vary from house to house, giving a kind of variety that is different from the earlier homes on Hood that were all made of wood. It has been rehabbed by the firm of Greene and Proppe Design. The porch extends across the front of the building with just two supporting columns. The original design of the railing was used to replace the stairway handrail, which had been removed years ago. Note the shape of the balusters which are wider at the base and narrow to the top. This change of size is typical of Craftsman design. It is an element that was also used in the Coutre residence. The façade of the home exhibits a unique recessed window at the third floor level. The window is framed by a single simple arch.
The original front door of glass and oak invites you into the reception hall. In the hall, the stair railing and newel post indicate the Craftsman style of the home. The rehab of this hall carefully followed the original design of the home. Once again, the form that is repeated is a square wider base that narrows as it goes to the top. The reception hall has been opened up by a change in the opening to the living room. It has been widened and then matching Craftsman design columns placed to create a new entrance. All of this is in oak, which replicates the original. The use of quality material and the adherence to the original design is important in a successful rehab. Though many of the windows have been replaced, care was taken to use quality materials. The moldings are custom made reproductions in oak. The center window in the living room is a style called a cottage window, which is also in keeping with the Craftsman design. The original home did not have a fireplace, so the current owners, in consultation with their architects, added one that is in keeping with the design of the home. The woodwork is oak and the tiles are a green that is a typically Craftsman or Prairie color.
The living room opens to what was once the dining room, but now has become the music room. In fact this new plan is much like the late 19th century design with two parlors. The back of this room was the back of the house. Care was taken to retain the form of the back bay when the addition was planned. At the back of the music room, there is an opening to the kitchen and the dining room which now faces the back garden. The bay is repeated in the dining room. The kitchen was done in a previous rehab with new counters and white cabinets. Just outside through the back door is a deck that is nestled between the house and an old maple tree.
Ascend the beautiful oak staircase to the second floor. In the hall, the five panel doors are original. The home had four bedrooms in its original configuration and not all of them had closets. The addition at the back of the house offered the opportunity to create a sitting room, office, new bathroom, additional storage and an open deck porch facing the back. In the new bedroom, there is an arch window detail like the front arch design. This addition was designed by the firm of Greene and Proppe who worked with the owners to make sure it was compatible with the style of the original house.