1613 Madison Avenue
In 1956 contractor E.O. Clarkson took out the building permit to construct this house and in 1957 the residence appeared in the city directory, occupied by Mrs. Lucielle G. Harris.
Mrs. Harris taught at Morgan School in the Cherry neighborhood, one of the many women in McCrorey Heights who worked for the school system. The city directory listed her as the widow of Simble B. Harris; it was rare in suburban America during the 1950s for a single woman to purchase her own home, but in McCrorey Heights there were more than a dozen women who attained that goal. Mrs. Harris lived here for over twenty years, into her retirement in the 1980s.
This was one of four houses in McCrorey Heights “spec built” by contractor Edwin O. Clarkson: 1704 Patton (1954), 1708 Patton (1954), 1613 Madison (1956), 1708 Madison (1956). Neighbors evidently admired his work; several families who took out building permits on their own asked Clarkson to handle their construction: James McClellan at 1712 Van Buren (1955), Dr. Rudolph Wyche at 1713 Oaklawn (1959), Otis Young at 1700 Patton, Carrie Hart at 1607 Washington (1959).
Architecture
Cottage style residence, 1.5 stories tall in red brick. The main gable roof is high enough to hide a second story, often seen in Cottage style dwellings. A projecting front gable accentuates the living room. Note the prominent exterior chimney, a Cottage style characteristic, on the east side of the house.
Building permits
Madison 1613 permit a
Date issued: April 10, 1956
Owner: E. O. Clarkson
Contractor: E. O. Clarkson
Estimated cost:
Other permit info: Build residence
Madison 1613 permit b,
Date issued: August 24, 1964
Owner: Mrs. Lucile Harris
Contractor: Gene Johnson’s Remodeling
Estimated cost: $5,900
Other permit info: Addition of porch, bedroom and bath at rear of house
First appeared in city directory
1957 Mrs. Lucielle G. Harris, widow Simble B., teacher Morgan School
1981 city directory – Mrs. Lucille G. Harris, retired. Also Henry Hawkins, Principal Independence High