6316
In 1987, when the current owners purchased this home, it was neglected and “remuddled.” But with a hint of the original beauty still apparent, they began working on its restoration. As you stand in front of the home you can see the obvious reconstruction of the wraparound porch with brick supports and aluminum awning windows. The home sits on the area’s standard 50’ lot, was built in the 1890s and probably stood alone on this side of the street for at least a decade. The original wooden porch would have had columns and turn spindles so we can call it Queen Anne in style.
In the front hall, the craftsmanship of the builder is apparent. The wood paneled wainscoting, the twin closet doors and the floor are all quarter sawn oak. Here and in several rooms in the home, you will see beautiful light fixtures placed where “modern” ones from the 1950s once hung. The dominant feature of the hallway is the spindled staircase with elegant newel post. Two steps up is a cozy nook with window bench. The area receives light through a beautiful beveled glass window.
As you enter the living room to the right, you become aware of the beautiful coved ceiling with picture molding and more beautiful woodwork with crowns above the doorways. The original front window was missing and has been replaced by a glass sliding door, probably part of the 1950s alterations. In the recent restoration, the walls have been redone by a craftsman in horsehair plaster. The work was done throughout the house under the owner’s watchful eye.
Behind the parlor is a second parlor. The windows in this room are quite large with beautiful woodwork and a bench at the base. The focus of this room is the fireplace, with original mantel and replacement tiles. The decorative columns on this piece are Ionic on top and Doric to the floor. The fireplace is quite small and was probably coal or gas burning. The current owners had a small basket hand crafted in England to fit the space and then had the chimney opened.
The spectacular dining room has a geometric design beam pattern - a diamond in the square. The light fixture adds to the elegant atmosphere. Again the windows are quite tall. A built-in hutch on the south wall seems to be a combination of some machine made details with a custom design. Note the shell design and watch for it to reoccur in the home.
The kitchen has been remodeled and probably reconfigured. The entrance to the room and the powder room were added. The kitchen floor was maple but was ruined with the screws used to install an underlayment for a tile floor. The current owners chose oak instead and installed oak cabinets to continue the woodwork of the rest of the home. The kitchen has an original five paneled pine door which had been painted. A staircase leads to the second floor with maple treads and pine risers.
The front staircase is quite dramatic and this is heightened by the Palladian window. At the landing, the glass designs include a shell, wreath and fleur-de-lis. At the top of the staircase is a spectacular light. It was originally installed in Piper’s Alley which led to Piper’s Bakery in Old Town. At the top of the stairs is a doorway leading to the third floor hideaway with full bath. The home was once divided into three or four apartments, so the space had been set up with plumbing.
On the second floor, the room with the turret is enhanced with a wonderful light fixture. The windows are huge with leaded glass above and sills that meet the 10 inch baseboards. A door with mirror and two side panels opens onto a sitting room or nursery. This smaller room has a stained glass facing south, a coved ceiling and picture molding.
Following the format of the first floor, the turret room leads through a passageway to the master bedroom suite which is a redesign of the original floor plan. The first plan included a hallway that ran from the staircase to the back staircase. Several small rooms connected to that hallway. This had been altered when the building had been subdivided into apartments. At the end of your tour you will go down the back staircase and into the lovely backyard with walkways and a peach tree.