5206

This home, built in 1897, stands in the Mount Pleasant subdivision, just across the street from Ebenezer Lutheran Church. The owner and builder was E.M. Clark, who also built the home next door on the same permit. The cost of the homes as stated on the permit was $2,600 for both. The permit is N177, an early number, and this information was found in the March 20, 1897 issue of the Economist.

The side gabled home has a stacked bay on the façade with a pediment at the top. Though the house stands tall, it is not three stories as you might guess from the street. Homes built before the turn of the 19th century were sometimes built to look tall from the street with details like the pediment which was covered with siding years ago. At the second floor level there is also a dormer with a window. At the first floor level the front porch does not cross in front of the bay window so that light enters the front room parlor. This kind of planning for a house was important before electricity was available in the area. Originally the house had only gas lighting.

The front door is original with original hardware. Above the door is a transom that also allowed light into the reception hall. The reception hall features the original staircase and openings to the back hallway, kitchen and the front parlor. The centerpiece of the parlor is the fireplace which has been upgraded from the gas original to wood burning with a black marble hearth. This room opens into the dining room, which probably had pocket doors at one time. The oak woodwork has been painted white, and the original flooring is wide pine planks. The baseboard moldings are about 10 inches which is another indication of an older home. The back of the dining room has been opened out with double glass doors to a cozy deck and a beautiful garden with fountains.

From the dining room there is a doorway to the back hall which has a built in butler’s pantry. This includes drawers so that storage is available for glassware and linens. From this hallway you can see the kitchen which has been remodeled. Originally it would have had a sink, stove and icebox near the porch, but no cabinets, so it possibly had a kitchen table. The floor has been stripped back to the maple floor and the woodwork is a natural oak. The design of these moldings is repeated throughout the house. A beautiful ceramic counter top is a perfect complement to the oak wood. On the wall just to the left of the door as you enter is a unique oak cabinet which seems the perfect place for spice storage.

As you ascend the stairs, note the handrail and balusters which are turned wood, indicative of the Queen Anne influence. There are two windows to shed light on the stairs and two landings which are oak. As you walk by these two windows, look at the molding below them. The straight line design seems to hearken to the older 1880s Eastlake style. At the top of the stairs, the master bedroom is to the front of the house. It has the second floor bay window and the smaller window which is in the small dormer. If you look to the upper corners of the room, you will note that the high ceiling is tucked under the roof line. This is related to the home being built with the gable to the side.

The doors on the second floor are all five panel doors. There are two more bedrooms and a bathroom which is a step up from the floor. The owners have speculated on why this may be. Perhaps the plumbing was not installed in the original house or perhaps only a toilet and sink were installed. But because they have had plumbing work done they know that the pipes for the bathroom are under this raised floor.