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In 1899, John Lewis Cochran, the developer of Edgewater, used a drawing of this home to attract buyers to his Third Addition. In a booklet titled “A Home by the Lake,” he showed the variety of architectural styles available in Edgewater including Colonial Revival, Classical Revival, English Gothic and Queen Anne. Because of the detailing on the façade of this home, it may be called Queen Anne. It is, however, a far cry from the Queen Anne style that became the rage after it was shown in the 1876 Philadelphia Exposition. The early Queen Annes had many more twists and turns and irregular decorations than these later buildings. As you look at the façade, notice how the Queen Anne details, such as the lattice attic window mullions and the placement of the decorative shell design, announce the decorative style, while the other Queen Anne elements, such as turrets and complicated walls and bays, seem to be missing. At the first floor level there is a wide bay with a large center window. Above the staircase to the porch is a pediment with a decorative medallion relief design. The porch is beautifully restored even to the replicated designs in the area beneath the porch.

The front door is oak and original. It opens into a hallway with a window facing the front of the home and a beautiful stained glass window to the north side of the home. The glass design is similar to those in other Cochran homes because it is symmetrical with crystals and some pieces of beveled glass. Also in the reception area is the staircase to the second floor, which makes a right angle turn at the landing. Notice the beautiful oak newel post and the turned spindle balusters. At the end of the reception hall is a doorway to the back area of the home. The doors on the first floor are six panel oak doors. The original oak flooring in the front hall has been replaced with a new oak floor. This project and much of the other work on the home has been done since 1997 when the current owners purchased it. Partridge Architects has worked closely with the Weismans on both the restoration and the spectacular addition on the rear of the house.

In the living room, the top nailed floor has been restored and redesigned to accommodate a change of combining two parlors into one room, which was done some time ago. The top nailed flooring is oak in a narrow board with an inlaid border. This border went around the edges of both rooms. When the wall was removed, the blank places between the rooms remained. In an effort to unify the two areas, the border design was made to go around one area of the room leaving the smaller area free of the border. In order to do this the wood was specially milled and fitted to the original floor.

As you can see in the floor plan of the house, each parlor had a corner fireplace that was removed long ago and replaced with the central fireplace. The current owners had the mantel custom built for the fireplace. At one end of the living room are French doors that open into the dining room. Off the dining room is the back hallway with a separate staircase to the second floor. In this hallway the woodwork is pine and there is a new built-in desk. Next, enter the kitchen, a variation of the great room design. The cabinets were custom made by the Coppes-Napanee Company, an old cabinet company in Indiana. The wood finish is butter maple, and the cabinets are finished with a crown molding with dentil design. The counter tops are marble. Just past the L-shaped counter is an eating area that opens onto a deck. Off to the right are a storage area and the 1990s variation of the mudroom. The larger space extends the great room to the south end of the home where a staircase descends to the basement playroom and soon-to-be exercise room.

As you ascend the back staircase, it will meet the front staircase at the landing. There you will get a better look at another stained glass window. On the second floor, there are three bedrooms and two baths. The pine woodwork has been painted as it was originally - in white. Each doorway has a transom to allow air circulation. The master bedroom is also part of the addition and it includes a master bath and dressing room. The lofted room has a light airy feeling. Off this room are double doors opening onto a cozy open porch that overlooks the backyard. The third floor has been renovated to accommodate two bedrooms and a bath. As you descend the staircase, please exit by going down the front stairs and out the front door.