3927 Windsor Road (1992)

Part of the Crown Point Development, this charming two-family home, built in 1927 in the "English country'' style, speaks to the owners' creativity and loving care. Throughout the downstairs, they laboriously removed six layers of wallpaper, including a Chinese mural in the dining room (third layer down) which resisted all but the most heroic measures. They pried off every bit of woodwork, carefully marking each piece before sending it out for stripping and staining. The pieces were returned minus the supposedly "indelible" markings and had to be fitted together like a giant jigsaw puzzle.

In the living room, suspicious bulges in the plaster over the mantel were chipped out to reveal electric wiring for the two antique brass lighting sconces. Across from the fireplace the center panel of the stained glass "piano window'' is from St. Margaret Mary's Church. The two side panels were designed and made by the owner. An antique linen chest successfully hides the stereo equipment and television set. The anniversary clock on the mantel belonged to the owner's parents.

The satinwood table and chairs in the dining room were built in 1923 for the Irwin Company. An unusual feature is the placement of the legs in the middle. The hand-painted china belonged to the owner's mother, and the picture of the Last Supper is a family heirloom.

The owners enlarged the kitchen by enclosing part of the back porch. They removed carpeting and linoleum, sanded and finished the floor, and added wallpaper.

There is a good-sized yard, with gardens extending beyond the garage. In the section of the yard off the back porch, the fence and brickwork were installed by the owner. The tall spruce tree there was the first Christmas tree of the original owner, and is thus 65 years old.