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This home, built in 1895 in John Lewis Cochran’s 4th addition to Edgewater, looks decidedly more modern, with its clay tile roof and wide façade. The home is covered in clapboard siding. The permit date was May 4th and the original address was 1026 Norwood. A front porch has been enclosed and divided, so that one part is an extension of the living room and one part serves as the entrance porch. The second floor of the façade is symmetrical, with a center bay window. The original third floor dormer was probably like the home at 1309 Norwood, which was on a permit issued on the same day. It shows a higher roof line, in keeping with the vertical aesthetic of a home built before the horizontal influence of the Prairie School. The architect is Julius Huber, who lived in the Lakewood Balmoral area.

The front door has a transom above the door, which may have been operating in the original home to improve air circulation. The reception hall showcases the beautiful staircase, which is in the Eastlake design used in the 1880s and 1890s. There is room in this area for furnishings. In one corner, there must have been a fireplace which shared a flue with a fireplace in the living room. Look at the floorboards to see the design. All the flooring on the first floor is quarter sawn oak.

The entrance to the living room is through an archway that may have been added when the other alterations were done to the home. This was once the home of Rudolph and Prudence Starr. Mr. Starr owned a roofing company. One of the Starr’s daughters lived across the alley when the current owners purchased the home. When the current owners found an old trunk in the attic, they invited her to look at it. She remembered it from her childhood and the current owners were happy to return it to her.

The dining room is connected to the living room through an arched entrance with a thick wall, which suggests that there may have been a pocket door. The dining room has a bay window with no center window. This seems to accommodate the closeness of the next house by letting light into the room. It also has a window overlooking the backyard. The windows are framed by the original moldings, which predate the use of crown molding. The dining room connects to the kitchen through a passageway with a beautiful built in hutch. The kitchen has its original pantry and a small porch off the back which is a two story porch.

In the passageway back to the front hall, you will see a window near the entrance to the basement. It is one of the original windows with the glass made before 1900. We can expect that all the homes windows were in this design.

The staircase leads to the second floor with four bedrooms. At the top of the staircase is the master bedroom which has the bay window at the front of the house. Across the hall is a smaller bedroom with a small porch attached. You will see the master bedroom and look into another bedroom with the small porch attached. Also look into the central bathroom which is raised up a step. The tub is unique with the side faucets. This 100-plus year old home has been updated and preserved and shows the care its owners have given it over the years.