1239

The permit for this home was taken out by Roy E. Knauer on September 24, 1910. Mr. Knauer was a developer and builder who built most of the homes on this block. He built this home for himself. There are a few homes on the block that are very similar to this one, including the one next door.

The home has a broad full façade front porch, which hides the interior bay window with Arts and Crafts designed divided light windows. The emphasis is on the horizontal, which shows the influence of the Prairie School of design. At the second floor, the wide front bay is repeated. At the third floor, there is another detailed window in the dormer. This window detailing also shows along the side of the porch, which you see as you walk to the side entrance. Here the side windows are not square but have clipped corners. The stucco finish of this home is original and wood details colored the same as the stucco can be seen on the porch façade.

The door to the home is original. It opens into a foyer with space for hanging coats. This opens into the reception hall, with the staircase leading to the second floor. The living room to the right extends the full width of the house. There is a fireplace at one end of the room. All the woodwork in the home has been painted white, including the ceiling beams. It is probably all oak. A previous owner was a wood worker and added scalloped cornices and details in various places throughout the house. Any original stained glass has been removed. A door in the living room opens onto the front porch, which is used seasonally.

From the reception hall, there is a small opening where a door to the kitchen was originally. Because this was a house of many doors and the current owners found the kitchen plan difficult with this door, they created a small window so that the mother could monitor the activities of children in the living room while she was working in the kitchen.

The reception hall opens into the dining room, which has the crossed ceiling beams and the original cabinet with side china cabinets in place. Two small windows above this cabinet were originally stained glass, probably like the home next door to the west. The owner who did the wood working also decorated these window frames. At the back of the room, facing the rear of the house, is a beautiful three sectioned bay window with diamond shaped leaded glass. This now faces a room addition that was added early in the homes history. It may have been an open porch, but now a ribbon of windows surrounds the room. This room is stuccoed on the outside to match the house and was probably created before 1920.

The dining room connects to the kitchen, which was updated with new cabinets. The refrigerator was recessed in a wall to allow more space in the room. There is room for a kitchen table. Next to the refrigerator is a small pantry, which affords more storage place. The kitchen is open to the back yard and to the basement and a side entrance. If you step onto the back porch, you will see the original garage with original door and window details. The garage has a hip roof. The garage is entered from the side in the alley so it has easier access than the typical garage.

The staircase to the second floor reaches a landing and then makes a turn. The railing continues to the second floor and then ends at a wall. The hallway opens onto three bedrooms and a full bath. In front is the master bedroom with a cove ceiling and a center bay and two separate closets at the end of the room.

Connected to the two bedrooms, across the back, is a porch and additional bedroom above the addition below. It is possible to make a walk through these rooms and return to the central hall. The floors on the second floor are oak. There is a walk up attic used for storage. The home was lived in by Roy Knauer and his family for a number of years, so it may be that he created the addition. The current owners have lived in the home for 45 years.