1615 Madison Avenue

This is an unusually nicely detailed example of Ranch style design located on a corner lot. A low hip roof covers the main block, with a hipped front projection that holds the living room. At the rear are two hipped projections, one a rear porch, the other a small wing. The exterior is red brick, enlivened by a “wainscoting” of cut stone along the lower front facade. Most windows are double-hung units with just two horizontal panes per sash. The living room has an oversized floor-to-ceiling front window with twelve large panes. On the west side of the house, facing Creek Street, there is a large chimney with an inset of cut stone. Next to it, the dining room or kitchen is lit by a three-part “picture” window (a feature found in living rooms in this era, but seldom in dining rooms or kitchens).

The abundance of natural light provided by the design, plus the stonework and other thoughtful detailing, might indicate that this was created by an architect? Perhaps it came from a magazine or plan service like the 1952 home of W.W. Twitty up the block at 1725 Madison, who took his design from plans published in American Home Magazine.