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This 2-1/2 story town home was part of a new development strategy by developer John Lewis Cochran and he built three of these double houses in 1898. In order to sell the benefits of a home in Edgewater, he offered this building as both a home and an investment. The original cost of the whole building, both residences, was $7,000. This idea was a compromise of his original plan which was to allow only single family dwellings. It has been said that he borrowed this idea from Philadelphia, from where he came. The builder was A. Collander. The permit for the building was taken out in J.L. Cochran’s name.

As you approach the building, you will immediately see that there have been modifications to the façade. The home has been stripped of its original wooden porch and, because of that, you can see the shape of the façade, which is in red brick with a limestone base. The front gable is simple and straightforward in design with a small window that is matched in the attached townhome. Just above the second floor is a decorative cornice which stretches across the front of the building. The roofs of both homes are tiled. The wooden front porch has been replaced by a concrete porch and iron railing. In order to provide some cover to the entrance, the current owners have installed a dark green awning over the doorway. The outer front door is a replacement for the original, which was removed when this home was used as a rooming house. The owners found this replacement at Salvage One. There is an airlock with the small entrance hall. The interior door is original with beveled glass and there is a transom above this door.

The current owners took on a big project when they purchased this home, which had been abused through use as a rooming house. It required extensive reconstruction to make it habitable for a family. The cracked black and white linoleum floor was removed and the quarter sawn oak floors refinished. As you walk into the living room, try to imagine it as two parlors, one to the front of the building and one in the area near the fireplace. The fireplace mantle is a replacement which is in keeping with the age of the home. Slate has been used to surface the areas that would have been wood. The walls of the home were replaced and, in a few instances, doorways were relocated to add to the convenience of the home design. The second parlor also affords access to the second floor via a beautiful carved oak staircase. The balusters are turned oak spindles.

As you enter the dining room, you will find the unique five panel pocket door installed between the two rooms. At the end of the room is a fireplace that was hidden and uncovered when the walls were replaced. This fireplace shares a chimney with the attached home in at least this one location.

The kitchen had a number of improvements made to make it like a great room. As you first enter the room there is an area to your left that was once a full bath for the downstairs roomer. The current owners removed that bathtub and left a small lavatory and handy work area which faces the kitchen. The cabinets are oak and the counters are Saltillo tiles from Mexico. An addition was made to the kitchen so that it included an eating area and a place to watch TV. Off the kitchen are several doors: to the basement, to the storage pantry and to the back staircase. There is an exit out the side which includes a deck area and steps into the back and side yards. The second floor included four bedrooms originally and, on the third floor, there was a room for the maid. The current owners have made some alterations to the to the second floor, but it will not be opened today.