1508

This large red brick home is situated on a large lot with a side drive and side entrance. It is unusual on this block. It was built in 1919 by Fred Finsle, who moved in after the final inspection on December 8, 1919. The architect was E.M. Newman and the contractor was H. Woller. The cost of construction was $12,000. The current owners purchased the home from the McDermott family. Dolores McDermott raised her eight children in the house. One of her sons, a doctor, lives down the street.

The first impression of this home is the horizontal emphasis with five windows across the front. At the second floor, a wide overhanging eave adds to this emphasis. The low pitch of the roof has a special design with drains for rainwater in the overhang which connects to the downspouts. These elements are based on the Prairie style. The massive brick pillars at the corners of the porch are accented with a decorative limestone element that forms a “T” with a square below.

The side entrance is protected by a metal canopy. The original door is oak with two windows, and it opens into a vestibule with a beautiful original tile floor. This opens through another door into the reception hall and from this hall you can view both the wide living room and the large dining room. Again the feeling of the horizontal space is strong. Across from the entrance, tucked under the staircase, is a half bath which is tiled in green with black accents.

The large living room opens onto what might be called a sun porch. It is part of the room and is delineated by four massive oak columns with square insets at the top where a capital would be. Around the ceiling of the room is an oak cornice that forms the corner with panels on both the wall and the ceiling. The golden oak wood in these two rooms is quarter sawn and it has been refinished. At one end of the room is the fireplace with a decorative design above the firebox, and on either side of the fireplace are shelving and cabinets that may have been added later. All the floors are the original oak.

The dining room has a bay window at one end with an oak window bench. The bay window is like a separate unit which you will notice from the outside. A wainscoting that is used in the hall continues in this room. All the window moldings are the original oak. Many of the light fixtures are replacements but are in keeping with the design of the home. Off the dining room is the galley type kitchen with is being remodeled. A second doorway leads to the brick addition. It serves as a den or guest room with an attached bath. The bath has been renovated with a glass shower and glass tiles.

The staircase to the second floor was designed without hand railings and an oak box serves as the newel post. After the turn on the stairs there is a hand rail. The stained glass windows at the landing of the staircase are original to the home. The geometric design with a circle and long vertical accents in a combination of stained glass and clear glass.

The upstairs hall opens into three rooms and a bathroom. The largest bedroom at the front of the house is above the living room. The hall bathroom has been renovated to include both a stand up shower and a bathtub. The wall tile is glass.

The bedroom towards the back of the house is the original master bedroom with bath. This bathroom has also been renovated. In this room you can see the stained glass that was above the entrance hall. It is a similar design to the staircase windows with the circle being in colored glass. The third bedroom serves as a den.

The style of the home is American Arts and Crafts with elements of the American Foursquare. The horizontal design, an influence of the Prairie School in Chicago is evident throughout the house. The use of natural wood throughout the house shows a turn away from the complicated design of the past to a celebration of the natural simple forms.