1525

This charming home is next to an original wooden church called St. Paul’s, and the home may have been built for the original minister of the church. It was built before 1905, but no permit was found for it. It is one of several cottages built in this era before the 1905 map, that have become lovely homes in Edgewater.

From the front you will notice some unique details. The full front porch offered a place to get cool in the hot summers. The columns are turned wood. The front door placed to the left side has a side light which allows the owner to see who is at the door. The exterior moldings around the door and windows are bull’s eyes and probably yellow pine. Across the front windows is a lattice of semi-permanent storm windows. They were designed to open with hinges, but over painting has made them fixed. At the second floor are two windows facing the front of the house.

Inside the home the spaciousness is surprising. The reception hall has a closet to the left. All the original bull’s eye molding is in place around the doors and windows. From the inside, the front windows are in a classic design and may have had leaded glass on the upper panel. The living room has been expanded to an open space into the dining room. The wall framing the two rooms was removed to create that space. The floors are the original pine and speak of the many people who lived in this home and enjoyed its beauty and charm. Just off the dining room is a small office with full bath that has been totally renovated with beautiful tile and a glass enclosed shower.

At the back of the dining room is the space for the kitchen. This extends across the entire back of the home and, because of its shape, was transformed into a modern kitchen with a relaxing area for eating or watching TV. The original windows face the backyard and deck, which you will see after you see the rest of the house. The kitchen cabinets were chosen to be in keeping with the design of the house.

Back in the dining room, the staircase opens up to the second floor. This home was designed before the tradition of having the staircase in the front hall. Essentially it is a private staircase for the residents. Many arts and crafts home designs return to the interior staircase design after 1910. This staircase has been reconstructed and shows many improvements. The stairs and risers are now solid oak, having replaced the worn pine stairs. The winders have been modified so they are wider and not as steep. Along the second part of the stairs there is now a place to display interesting objects.

At the top of the stairs you enter a hallway to the three bedrooms. The one at the rear covers the whole back of the house. The second bedroom is along the hall and has two doors, one connected to the hall and one to the back bedroom. All the doors and framing on the second floor are original pine wood which came from the old growth forests of Wisconsin or Michigan. Note the original door knobs and plates on all the doors.

At the front of the home is the Master bedroom which is not open. Just next to that is the full bath which has been completely renovated. If you say after seeing this home that it was surprisingly roomy, you would be correct. Many working families lived happily in these homes that are disappearing in some neighborhoods because of zoning that allows multi-unit buildings.