435 Roosevelt Drive

Description

Once upon a time, an enigma of architectural history came to market. For the first time in over 50 years, Evansville's pinnacle example of the Storybook style is available for showing appointments, nestled like a fairytale setting on Roosevelt Drive. Much like the overarching Tudor style, here we see another interpretation of medieval Europe a throwback of throwbacks, with whimsy and flair. Commonly referred to as the Hansel and Gretel House, the home centers around a courtyard with an impressive floorplan for 1927, flanked by seven dormers and low-slung copper details, where catslide walls adorn the east wall from limestone posts. A massive ancient oak tree stands on guard at the front, with twisting, reaching limbs, like it was taken from the pages of an Arthur Rackham book, looking as if Walt Disney's Seven Dwarves are about to hop whistling around the corner, each claiming one of the seven diminutive dormers that face the courtyard and greet the front door. Inside, the impact of height and space is immediate. A fireplace and hearth warmly greet you to the left, as your eye bounces throughout the sunken living room, beneath steeply pitched ceilings with rich wood cross beams, original wrought iron chandeliers, French doors opening to the terrace, and the elegance of the dining room - a step up and bordered by cast iron rails. Part of the soul of this house is clearly evident in the original casement windows, a sacred aspect to be cherished. Through the breakfast room, the maid's quarters have been converted to laundry with pantry storage, and the kitchen shows its mark from the Mid-Century Modern movement. Back across the courtyard, the bedroom wing features hall built-ins, original fixtures, and baths with Italian travertine tile - one Jack and Jill, and one dedicated to the main bedroom. The original genius of this remarkable, woman designed masterpiece is wonderfully intact - from the hardware and hallmark craftmanship inside, to the masonry art on the exterior where the use of reclaimed bricks from demolished structures achieves the authentic variegated clinker brick texture, a signature detail. The sum total of the parts is an extraordinary architectural experience, a backdrop for the rich story of your life, from your past exploits to your future conquests, from the entertainment of your cast of characters, to the solitary respite from the world beyond these walls. It is time to make them yours.