2009 Fall Tour of Homes

The name “Magnolia Glen” is a relatively recent one, having been coined as a result of certain real estate agents suggesting to the leadership of the neighborhood associations in the mid 1980s that the area needed a nice sounding name to identify it and distinguish it from Edgewater Glen, Lakewood-Balmoral and East Andersonville. It covers the area bounded on the north by the alley north of Elmdale, on the east by Broadway, on the south by Ridge and on the west by Glenwood. Some might consider the western boundary to be Clark St; however, for the purpose of this tour we will consider Glenwood as Magnolia Glen’s western boundary.

Magnolia Glen encompasses two block club/neighborhood association areas and three distinct subdivisions plus part of another.

The block club/neighborhood associations are Broadway Ardmore Ridge Glenwood Early Neighbors (BARGE) and the Every Person Is Concerned block club (EPIC). See figure #1 for boundaries.

The subdivisions are Cairnduff’s Addition to Edgewater, recorded April 25, 1888; Fischer’s Subdivision, recorded September 3, 1890; J.L. Cochran’s fourth (and last) addition to Edgewater, recorded August 12, 1893; and the Rosedale Addition to Edgewater, recorded June 22, 1907. It is only the north side of Elmdale of Cochran’s fourth addition that is within Magnolia Glen; the Norwood Avenue portion (both sides) is within Edgewater Glen. See figure #2 for boundaries.

Today’s home tour concentrates on homes in the Rosedale Addition, which abuts Cairnduff’s addition on the south. While these two subdivisions are physically connected, they are separated in time by some 19 years! The Rosedale Addition was the last area in Magnolia Glen to be subdivided and one of the last in Edgewater proper. Given the late date for the recording of the subdivision, it is surprising that any single family homes were built at all because of the small apartment building boom that was taking place in Edgewater at the time. In all, 27 single family homes were built (15 on Rosedale alone). Most of the homes were built before 1912. The majority of structures in the Rosedale Addition are brick two-flats.

In addition to the Rosedale Addition, one home on the tour is located in Fischer’s Addition. Although, it was recorded in 1890, nothing happened for another 15 years! The 1905 Sanborn fire map shows no structures within it! Development, when it did occur, took place simultaneously with development in the Rosedale Addition and on the north side of Elmdale in Cochran’s fourth addition. Two homes on the tour are located in Cairnduff’s Addition to Edgewater. For more information about this early &ndash and successful – subdivision, visit our website: www.EdgewaterHistory.org. Use the search feature and enter “Cairnduff.”

We invite you to consider what it was like living in Cairnduff’s addition in the early 1890s, when the area west and north of you was vacant land. Would you have thought: “When will development come?” or would you have thought “I hope it stays this way,” especially after the construction of flat buildings in your own neighborhood?