West End Walks. 53 Chadwick Street. A visitor from jolly old England

After the turn of the century, the West End became increasingly popular and increasingly filled with an eclectic mix of styles. Our subject is a rare example of the Tudor Revival style.

53 Chadwick was built in 1930 for Thomas & Harriet Burrage. Thomas was a physician. He graduated from Harvard and published several papers on subjects as diverse as treating tuberculosis and the physiology of the American Flounder.

Showing details such as paired chimneys, multiple roof lines and gables, stone first floors, and half-timbering above, this is a true Tudor Revival. The half-timbering is applied on a stucco surface and is not structural. The asphalt shingles, although trying to imitate terra cotta tile, are a regrettable choice that does no justice to the design by presenting too many horizontal lines. The texture created by the use of architectural shingles just makes a visual mashup worse.

The house is tightly massed and somewhat tall for its size. This is in keeping with the style. Overall, the exterior is not well thought out. There are too many forms mashed together in a confined space.
Rather than acting as balancing elements, the strongly expressed gable and oversized chimney seem to be in conflict. The chimney is a victim of location. Brought well forward of the ridge, it has to be very tall to terminate above-said ridge to function properly. The central gable could act as a balance for the gable/chimney conflict but it’s been cut off and is not in scale.
I personally think the rear facade, accessed from one of the West End’s fabulous service ways, maybe the best-resolved side.