Cady-Lee
Encyclopedia
Cady-Lee, is an historic house located in the Takoma neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places
since 1975 as the Lucinda Cady House. The house is named for Lucinda Cady and her daughter Mary Lee who both owned the house.
in 1886. Henry Cady was a real estate and insurance salesman. He sold properties largely in Takoma Park and South Brookland from his office at 520-10th Street, N.W. in Washington. At the time the area had 16 homes and about 100 people. They hired Washington architect Leon Dessez to design their new home. He had previously worked on the Washington Monument
and designed the Admiral’s House, now known as Number One Observatory Circle
, the official residence of the Vice-President of the United States. Frederick Dudley built the house, which was completed in 1887. Other large homes joined the Cady’s along what was known as Magnolia Street, now Eastern Avenue.
The Cady’s moved into their new home with their five children. They hosted services of the Episcopal Church
in their home. Together with other Episcopalians in the area they organized Takoma Parish, now Trinity Episcopal Church. They held a concert at their home to help raise the funds for the new church, which was completed in 1893. Lucinda headed the Ladies Guild at the church for 16 years.
Henry Cady died in 1906 and Lucinda remained in the house until her death in 1934. Her daughter Mary, who was a school teacher, inherited the home and she and her husband B.K. Lee had electricity and indoor plumbing installed. The house became known as Cady-Lee at the time. Mary had little money in later years to update the house and created an apartment for herself on the main floor of the house after her husband’s death. She invited relatives to move into the rooms on the upper floors.
Mary Lee died in 1973. By this time the other large homes along Eastern Avenue were torn down and replaced by garden apartments. The Cady-Lee was also targeted for demolition. Members of the community rallied to save the home and it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 28, 1975. It was the beginning of creating the Takoma Park Historic District in both Maryland and the District of Columbia, which was added to the National Register in 1983. Gerald and Sandra Kurtinitis bought the house for $68,000 the same year. They started to renovate the Cady-Lee room by room. They sold the house in 2000 to Frances Phipps who specialized in house rescues. She also had the financial means to finish the project. She did not intend to live in the house herself and looked for a non-profit agency to take it over. The Forum for Youth Investment bought the house in 2002 and now uses it for their offices. The upper floors and lower-level house the Forum staff and equipment. The first floor provides meeting space for Forum events and other non-profits.
that was popular on the east coast of the United States in the 1880s. The three-story structure is asymmetrical in design and is built over a basement. It contains 22 rooms, has 50 windows, 12-foot ceilings, seven gables and turreted sleeping porch. The main façade
is dominated by a tower-like bay on the northeast corner. On the second story the dormer
and the gable
ends are covered in scalloped shaped shingles. They extend down the house to form the porch and veranda roofs. The roofline is varied and reflects the Shingle Style. It consists of gables and cross gables that are topped by finial
s and two brick chimneys with corbelled chimney caps.
The interior features carved oak moldings and a two-story oak staircase where a Tiffany-style stained glass window is located. It also houses six original fireplace mantels. The foyer on the first floor leads to a library with carved bookcases and a front parlor with an original cheery wood mantel and over-mantel. The dining room has a Chinese Chippendale
style mantel. It also contains a decorative radiator that the Smithsonian Institute says is one of the few left of its kind. A kitchen, with a cast-iron wood buring stove, and a morning room, with a hand painted mural of an English garden, are in the back of the first floor. The second floor contains five large rooms, of which one has a working fireplace, and a bath. The third floor contains six rooms, a kitchen and a bath
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
since 1975 as the Lucinda Cady House. The house is named for Lucinda Cady and her daughter Mary Lee who both owned the house.
History
Henry and Lucinda Cady moved to Takoma Park from Ashland, VirginiaAshland, Virginia
Originally known as Slash Cottage, Ashland is located on the Old Washington Highway U.S. Route One and the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad, a busy north-south route now owned by CSX Transportation...
in 1886. Henry Cady was a real estate and insurance salesman. He sold properties largely in Takoma Park and South Brookland from his office at 520-10th Street, N.W. in Washington. At the time the area had 16 homes and about 100 people. They hired Washington architect Leon Dessez to design their new home. He had previously worked on the Washington Monument
Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington...
and designed the Admiral’s House, now known as Number One Observatory Circle
Number One Observatory Circle
Number One Observatory Circle is the official residence of the Vice President of the United States.Located on the northeast grounds of the United States Naval Observatory in Washington, DC, the house was built in 1893 for its superintendent. The Chief of Naval Operations liked the house so much...
, the official residence of the Vice-President of the United States. Frederick Dudley built the house, which was completed in 1887. Other large homes joined the Cady’s along what was known as Magnolia Street, now Eastern Avenue.
The Cady’s moved into their new home with their five children. They hosted services of the Episcopal Church
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
in their home. Together with other Episcopalians in the area they organized Takoma Parish, now Trinity Episcopal Church. They held a concert at their home to help raise the funds for the new church, which was completed in 1893. Lucinda headed the Ladies Guild at the church for 16 years.
Henry Cady died in 1906 and Lucinda remained in the house until her death in 1934. Her daughter Mary, who was a school teacher, inherited the home and she and her husband B.K. Lee had electricity and indoor plumbing installed. The house became known as Cady-Lee at the time. Mary had little money in later years to update the house and created an apartment for herself on the main floor of the house after her husband’s death. She invited relatives to move into the rooms on the upper floors.
Mary Lee died in 1973. By this time the other large homes along Eastern Avenue were torn down and replaced by garden apartments. The Cady-Lee was also targeted for demolition. Members of the community rallied to save the home and it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 28, 1975. It was the beginning of creating the Takoma Park Historic District in both Maryland and the District of Columbia, which was added to the National Register in 1983. Gerald and Sandra Kurtinitis bought the house for $68,000 the same year. They started to renovate the Cady-Lee room by room. They sold the house in 2000 to Frances Phipps who specialized in house rescues. She also had the financial means to finish the project. She did not intend to live in the house herself and looked for a non-profit agency to take it over. The Forum for Youth Investment bought the house in 2002 and now uses it for their offices. The upper floors and lower-level house the Forum staff and equipment. The first floor provides meeting space for Forum events and other non-profits.
Architecture
The Cady-Lee was designed in the Shingle StyleShingle Style architecture
The Shingle style is an American architectural style made popular by the rise of the New England school of architecture, which eschewed the highly ornamented patterns of the Eastlake style in Queen Anne architecture....
that was popular on the east coast of the United States in the 1880s. The three-story structure is asymmetrical in design and is built over a basement. It contains 22 rooms, has 50 windows, 12-foot ceilings, seven gables and turreted sleeping porch. The main façade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
is dominated by a tower-like bay on the northeast corner. On the second story the dormer
Dormer
A dormer is a structural element of a building that protrudes from the plane of a sloping roof surface. Dormers are used, either in original construction or as later additions, to create usable space in the roof of a building by adding headroom and usually also by enabling addition of windows.Often...
and the gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
ends are covered in scalloped shaped shingles. They extend down the house to form the porch and veranda roofs. The roofline is varied and reflects the Shingle Style. It consists of gables and cross gables that are topped by finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
s and two brick chimneys with corbelled chimney caps.
The interior features carved oak moldings and a two-story oak staircase where a Tiffany-style stained glass window is located. It also houses six original fireplace mantels. The foyer on the first floor leads to a library with carved bookcases and a front parlor with an original cheery wood mantel and over-mantel. The dining room has a Chinese Chippendale
Chinese Chippendale (architecture)
The term Chinese Chippendale in architecture is applied to a specific kind of railing or balustrade that was inspired by the "chinese Chippendale" designs of cabinetmaker Thomas Chippendale...
style mantel. It also contains a decorative radiator that the Smithsonian Institute says is one of the few left of its kind. A kitchen, with a cast-iron wood buring stove, and a morning room, with a hand painted mural of an English garden, are in the back of the first floor. The second floor contains five large rooms, of which one has a working fireplace, and a bath. The third floor contains six rooms, a kitchen and a bath