814 BROOK STREET
HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE
814 Brook Street was built by David C. Cook to be used as a rooming house for female employees of his company located only 1 block away. It was designed by architect George Morris in 1920 at a cost of $18,000. The home contained nine one-and-a-half room efficiency apartments each with its own bath. Murphy beds could be folded up to create a combination living room/bedroom. The building was named Olive Apartments in honor of a long-time Cook employee, Olive Shedden. It remained under ownership of Cook Publishing until 1948. In 1997, it was repurposed into a single-family dwelling.
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
814 Brook Street is an excellent example of an American Foursquare with Arts and Crafts detailing. The American Foursquare enjoyed popularity from the early 1900’s well into the 1920’s. At the time it was referred to as a “box house” due to its square 2-story structure under a hipped roof. The term “American Foursquare” was substituted later. On this home we see primarily Arts and Crafts detailing including its square porch columns with decorative capitals, square balusters, square newel posts with pyramidal caps, six-over-one double-hung windows and narrow exposure clapboard siding. The front door is a typically styled Arts and Crafts door.
TIMELINE OF PREVIOUS OWNERS
Sources: 2023 Heritage Plaque Application