2668 Berkshire Road (1992)

 

This unusual home can be described as basically Tudor, with eclectic features such as fully stuccoed exterior, a single front gable, and rectangular double-hung windows on either side of the front door. It was designed by architects Meade and Hamilton for John Parker, a pioneer Cleveland insurance writer, and his family.

 

Built in 1910, when the area was known as "Euclid Heights," the house features five fireplaces (three on the main floor), a library with a built-in bookcase along one entire wall, French doors opening into all of the rooms on the main floor, five bedrooms on the second floor, and four bedrooms on the third floor. The east end of the house was designed as a servants' section, with plainer woodwork and decoration.

The present owner purchased the house five years ago and has been working on it ever since. While the entire house has been refinished and redecorated, including ceilings and floors, little remodeling has been done and the owner has tried to retain and restore as much of the original flavor as possible. The woodwork, for example, has all been refinished by the present owner. The original blueprints, which were found in the house, were used to determine which woodwork to stain and which to paint. Only the basement has been remodeled to accommodate current living styles.