2. Edgewater Place Historic District - National Register Nomination

Home Browse Search

United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Edgewater Place Historic District Saint Joseph County, IN Name of Property County and State Section 7 page 8 The façade features a projecting gabled section in its south third and an enclosed porch in its north two-thirds. The gabled section features a row of three wood casement windows divided into eight panes. A wood window box is below the row. The enclosed porch features tapered corner piers composed of sandstone. The piers carry tapered wood posts that carry shaped lintels that support a low-pitched shed roof. The porch roof features sawn rafter tails. The porch is enclosed with rows of 1/1 wood windows. A wood porch door is in the south-facing wall of the porch. An eyebrow dormer with wood window divided into eight panes is centered in the main roof at the back of the porch roof. The house was built by Whitcomb & Keller in 1920 and sold to Charles and Edna Bender in 1924. Prior to that time, the Benders rented the property from the development company. Charles Bender was an assistant foreman at Studebaker Company’s Plant 2 in South Bend. The Benders sold the property to Aletha Whitcomb, widow of Leslie Whitcomb, in 1943. The Whitcombs resided at 557 Edgewater, adjacent to the south. Aletha moved to the smaller home and lived there until 1971.3 *549 Edgewater Drive. Julian House, Craftsman/Bungalow, 1922, Contributing Whitcomb & Keller, builders Middle of photo 04 Garage, Contributing The one and a half story, side-gabled brick house feature wide-overhanging eaves supported by thick wood braces. The roof is covered with asphalt shingles. The house has 6/6 wood windows with sills composed of rowlocks. The front façade features a full-width porch sheltered by an extension of the side-gabled roof. The porch has brick walls with a concrete cap and large, stucco corner piers, tapered, that carry the roof. The back wall of the porch, which is also stucco, features two pairs of 6/6 windows flanking a wood entry door. A wide gabled dormer, also stucco, is centered on the façade’s second story. It features wide corner pilasters that are tapered and flank a row of four small wood casement windows divided into multiple panes. A header board tops the row of windows between the pilasters. The dormer roof features three small carved wood brackets that support rafters with sawn tails. The house was constructed by Whitcomb & Keller in 1922 and sold to Oran Julian in the same year under a $5500 mortgage. Oran and Mary Julian moved to South Bend in 1900 where he worked as a manufacturer’s agent and salesman. Oran Julian was a member and founder of Trinity Methodist Church of South Bend. Mary Julian was also active in the Methodist Church as head of the district’s Foreign Missionary Society and was secretary of the Florence Crittenton Circle, a social service agency for women.4 543 Edgewater Drive. Williamson House, Prairie Style, 1922, Contributing Whitcomb & Keller, builders Right side of photo 04; second from right side of photo 05 3 South Bend HPC Survey Card, 1985 4 South Bend HPC Survey Card, 1985, rev. 1988