149-151 Patterson Avenue

    I know, this house looks totally bleak in the rain — but wait until the sun comes out and that hydrangea starts rocking!

   I find no newspaper mentions of Patterson Avenue prior to 1900. Ads from that year announce the sales of "new brick" houses, featuring hot and cold running water! This way to the coal chute boys...

   The City Directories tell us that as of 1901, 149 Patterson was vacant — awaiting its first occupant? Between 1904 and 1923 (possibly both earlier and later), it was the home of George W. Dawson, a purchasing agent for the Department of Public Works.

   Listings up to 1923 treat #149 as a single address. The upstairs would have been converted to a separate apartment some time after that date. Someone did a nice, clean job on the paired front entrances.

   Assuming* a construction date circa 1900, this design respects the basic Victorian layout while manfully eschewing the gracile fripperies of the Queen Anne revival. Solid Edwardian massing is presaged here.

* Jeopardy revived the old chestnut just last night, with Alex Trebek intoning "To assume is to make an ass of 'u' and me." Let's say 1900-1901 is my best guess and leave it at that.