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Search
and Rescue
On
this year's House & Garden Tour, explore two Takoma homes
saved from the brink
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Historic
Takoma, Inc. will host the Takoma Park House and Garden
Tour, "Phoenix Rising: A Celebration of Preservation,"
on Sunday, May 4th from 1 to 5 pm, rain or
shine.
The
theme is one of resurrection—of historic homes
brought back from the brink—and the tour has as
its centerpiece two extraordinary houses in the Maryland
and DC Takoma communities: the Cady-Lee Mansion and
the Boat House.
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The
magnificent wood staircase in the entrance hall of the
Cady-Lee Mansion
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The Cady-Lee
Mansion was almost lost in 1974 when the house was put on
the market to settle the estate of Mary Cady Lee. The house
at this time was the lone survivor of a row of stately homes
along Eastern Avenue. A developer was interested in finishing
the job and building garden apartments on the land, regarding
the house as a "white elephant and a firetrap."
Preservationists within the community fought this and placed
the 1887 Queen Anne-style house designed by Leon Dessez (designer
of Vice President’s residence) on the National Register
of Historic Places affording it some protection.
One
of Cady-Lee's handcrafted tile fireplace mantels.
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However,
the house was truly spared from the wrecking ball by
Sandra and Jerry Kurtinitis, who purchased it out from
under the developer and began an extensive restoration
in 1975, the first "rebirth."
By
2000, the house was again in need of substantial repair;
and this second resurrection was heroically performed
by Frances Phipps who purchased the home, restored it
and sold it to The Forum for Youth Investment, a nonprofit
organization dedicated toward making lives better for
children and youth.
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Come and
celebrate this significant resource saved by the efforts of
community preservationists, the Kurtinitises, Frances Phipps
and The Forum!
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The
Boat House, designed by local architect Harvey Page
in 1895, began its decline when it was converted from
a single-family residence into a five-unit apartment
building around the time of World War I. The conversion
to apartments resulted in the loss of the original floor
plan and many design details over time. At some point
in its history, the house also experienced a major fire.
Extensive neglect over time resulted in major damage
to the foundation and a sagging roof.
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The
Boat House, restored by owners Alison Baker and Jim
Colwell.
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The house
was almost at the point of no return when purchased by Alison
Baker and Jim Colwell, who have labored over the past two
years to restore it. An example of true Shingle-style Victorian
architecture with its simple, flowing lines, the Boat House
is an eclectic blend of design elements such as windows, turrets
and arches from other Victorian house styles. The large Romanesque
arches that characterized the porch are currently under restoration.
Come and celebrate this rare example of Shingle-style architecture
saved by the efforts of Jim Colwell and Alison Baker!
Advance
tickets will become available at selected local merchants
and at the Farmers Market in April. On the day of the tour,
tickets can be purchased and brochures picked up at the Cady-Lee
Mansion, located 7064 Eastern Avenue N.W., Washington, DC.
A portion of the proceeds will go toward restoration of the
Cady family portraits. See www.historictakoma.org
or call (301) 270-2831 for more information.
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