Historical Landmark - 553 Edgewater

Home Browse Search

553 EDGEWATER HISTORICAL CONTEXT This house was built in 1920 by prominent land developers, Leslie Whitcomb and Fred Keller. They rented the house to Charles and Edna Bender from 1921 to 1924 when they were finally able to purchase the property. Mr. Bender was an assistant foreman at Plant 2, of the Studebaker Corporation. He and his wife resided at this address for a total of twenty-two years, selling it to Leslie Whitcomb's widow, Aletha E., in 1943. Aletha E. Lee married Leslie Whitcomb in 1921. Leslie was a past Justice of the Peace in New York, a general secretary for the YMCA and was associated with Fred Keller in the real estate business for forty-five years. Whitcomb and Keller were responsible for developing the Edgewater Place neighborhood as well as the East Wayne Street Local Historic District. Mrs. Whitcomb resided at this address until 1971 when she sold the house to the current owners, Larry and Georgina DeLaurelle. Mr. and Mrs. DeLaurelle have initiated the landmarking of their home and have submitted a signed owner consent form. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION The property at 553 Edgewater is located on the west side of Edgewater between Arch Avenue and Monroe Street in South Bend, Indiana. It is described as lot 18 and southeasterly half of lot 19 in the Edgewater Place Addition to South Bend, Indiana. This is a one-story Bungalow style house with Craftsman details, a square plan and a brick chimney with corbelled top located on the northwest side. The house has a raised stone foundation with wood shingle siding and wainscoting in the gable peaks. The roof is gabled with asphalt shingles, brackets under wide eaves and eyebrow dormers. The porch is half-length with square wood supports, which has been closed in with one over one, double-hung windows. The house has a series of single unit, double unit and triple unit double-hung, one over one windows. The grounds have a single car garage, rear fence and deck. RECOMMENDATION Based on the Historic Preservation Commission's Local Landmark Criteria's adopted by the Common Council, the site, structures and objects at 553 Edgewater has been recommended to the Common Council for designation as a Local Landmark by the Historic Preservation Commission. The building, sites and objects meet the following three criteria: 1) Its embodiment of elements or architectural design, detail, material or craftsmanship which represents an architectural characteristic or innovation; 2) Its suitability for preservation; 4