1625 W. Jarvis Avenue

1625 W. Jarvis Avenue, Henry E. Jonas, 1919.

1625 W. Jarvis Avenue, the Maguire/Walker House.

This house was in the 2000 Annual Fall House Tour.

Circa: 1910

First Owner:

Present (2000) Owner: Frank Maguire and Alan Walker

This 1910 home is a lovely example of an Arts and Crafts American Foursquare. Many homes of this style were built in the Birchwood Beach area at the turn of the 20th Century, each with minor variations in detail and layout to distinguish one from another.

This home has been tastefully updated over the years and includes a seamless addition on the back of the house that increased space in the kitchen and a second floor bedroom.

As you enter the house, within sight is an impressive open staircase. This staircase is split at the landing with different service stairs leading down to the kitchen. In the living room, the wood-burning fireplace and flanking bookcases are a dramatic focal point. The fireplace arrangement is somewhat unusual, as it was traditional to have a bank of windows on the front of the house. On the west side of the room is a narrow, square bay, perfect for catching the afternoon sunlight.

Across the foyer, you enter the dining room through a pair of substantial oak pocket doors. This room has been decorated with William Morris wallpaper and fabrics appropriate to the period of the house. The kitchen addition was built in 1990, more than doubling the cramped, original space. Great care was taken to blend the addition with the original exterior of the house. The design imitates a curve found on the east dining room wall.

On the second floor, you will find that the two original front bedrooms have been combined to create a large master suite. Also the new addition in the rear of the house allowed for a family room and office space. The third floor has been remodeled as well. The owners renovated the original maid's room, adding a small sitting room and a bathroom with a whirlpool tub.