2204 W. Greenleaf Avenue

From HistoryWiki

2204 W. Greenleaf Avenue is owned by Edward Soderstrom and Eileen Soderstrom, who bought the house in 1986.


Eileen Soderstrom loved the house as soon as she saw it. And in her footsteps followed her husband, Edward, and the two children and they too were taken with the idea of living there. In December 1986, Eileen and Edward Soderstrom bought the house and moved in with Michael, 13, Katie 10, and Romeo, the cat.

This house too, is of the Eclectic Movement, with touches from the Italian Renaissance. Originally built in 1928, it is constructed of yellow brick and finely etched stone medallions decorate the exterior.

Characteristic of this architectural style are the double doors, the tower arches, the tile inlay and the asymmetrical facade marking the entrance.

Between the front door and the living room there is a hallway and foyer, made attractive by stucco walls, a wrought-iron, curved banister, doors fitted with beveled glass and twin alcoves carved into the wall, ideal spots for the placing of plants.

After the hallway, we take two steps down to the sunken living room where three casement windows provide a view to the south. Against the west wall, the Soderstroms have a working, wood-burning fireplace decorated with stone carvings which match the medallions on the outside of the house. There are two additional leaded glass windows with stained glass insets on either side of the fireplace. Mr. Soderstrom is a collector of African masks and several of these adorn the walls of the living room.

An open archway leads us to the dining room where there are four more casement windows admitting abundant light. The Soderstroms chose to purchase the dining room table and chairs, which belonged to the parents of the previous owners, and which is the same age as the house.

The rest of the first floor is occupied by the kitchen where the Soderstroffis have done extensive re-modeling and by a breakfast room, now (1988) in in the process of renovation.

On the second floor there are the bedrooms, and a tower room, which the family maintains as a study, and a 'period' bathroom which has the original tile and a distinct feeling of the 1920s.

Photos

RPWRHS photo S013-0439 shows the Soderstrom House at 2204 W. Greenleaf Avenue taken in 1988.