1530

This three story multi-unit building was constructed on an odd shaped lot near Clark Street in 1901 for Oscar Olson. The architect was Oscar Johnson, who designed many other apartment buildings in Andersonville. The original address of the building was 828 Edgewater. In Edgewater there were several streets with that name. In 1909 when the uniform numbering system was established the duplication of popular names was eliminated, so there is now only one Edgewater street in Edgewater.

The building is situated along the alley, with open space on the east side of the building. It has been beautifully restored and rehabbed. There is both a front entrance and a side entrance which opens onto the terrace area along the side of the building. From the front it appears to be a three-flat of the early vintage with beautiful sand colored brick walls and classical revival details including the Doric columns and dentils on the porch. The metal railing is a replacement. From the side it is clear there are six units. It was converted to condos in 2007.

Across the façade of the building are bands of limestone both above and below the window lines. All the windows are quite large because, at the time of its construction, electricity was not always available, so daylight was important. The original cornice at the top has been replaced with a metal band.

The front porch opens into a vestibule with a maple floor and mailboxes. The unit we will be seeing is on the first floor. A hallway opens into the living room with a bay window. Oak was used to frame the windows and doors. A new oak floor has been installed to replace the worn old floor and the room has been redesigned to allow for open access to the lower floor. The expansion of this unit makes it livable for a family. On the lower floor there is a play area and TV room and the master bedroom and bath.

Off the living room is a doorway that leads to the back hallway and the family part of the original apartment. All the woodwork is original, and all the doors framed by crown moldings are five paneled. The woodwork in rear area of the unit is yellow pine or fir stained to match the oak in other parts of the home. The maple floor is original and it is in the two bedrooms and hallway. One bedroom is reached from the hallway and the other is off the kitchen. In the hallway you will see a built-in china hutch with detailed moldings.

The kitchen has original maple floors and a new configuration to accommodate both cooking and laundry. The cabinets are newer and the counters are quartz in a light tone to capture more light. The windows in the kitchen face the side terrace and appear to be like many of those in dining rooms of the same period, so the room may have been reconfigured in the rehab. The backdoor opens into the hallway with a wooden staircase to the upper floors.

Please exit from the kitchen to the staircase in the side yard.