While designing homes for buyers, Joel was also concentrating on a new house for Lee and herself. This new home would be bigger and more elaborate than her previous houses. In 1910, a Colonial Revival designed house of approximate 3400 to 3600 square feet was built at 902 W. Wildwood. Since Joel no longer had time for domestic work, the new house included a maid’s quarters.[i]An interview with the previous owner in 1998, who was living in Joel and Lee’s last Colonial Revival home, states that the kitchen design is one of the house’s best features. Joel used speaking tubes to connect the kitchen to other rooms allowing communication between family members and the maid. A pantry connected to the kitchen allows for storage and efficient use of space. The novel feature of this house is a unique china closet hidden in a short passageway between the kitchen and the dining room. Within this cupboard’s recesses is Joel’s personal signature. This passageway is basically a walk-through china closet which allowed the maid to pick up the china and silverware on the way to the dining room [ii]
Steps from the kitchen lead directly to the maid’s upstairs bedroom. At this time the former owner used this room for her office. Also, located upstairs is a den with a connecting enclosed porch. In the master bedroom is a cozy fireplace. The focal point in the bathroom is an over sized bathtub. The original blue tiles still cover the bathroom walls. Although the house is very well designed, the previous owner observed certain construction anomalies. The banister leading upstairs is not one contiguous piece of wood... Also, the front door extends all the way to the ceiling, inhibiting the use of crown molding. [iii]
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