The original Altfillisch house was probably in a style sometimes called “Minimal Traditional,” which designates a large group of straightforward modern homes with minimal exterior decoration. The home’s low profile and overhanging roof hint at a Prairie style influence. According to the 2023 owner, the distinctive broad brick chimney and narrow vertical windows on the south elevation are, along with two new fireplaces, parts of a major 1994 renovation and addition. The retaining wall and rear deck are slightly later twentieth-century additions.
In 1941 Eva and Everett Reardon purchased a farm within Decorah’s southern city limits. In 1942 construction of their new home began after the original farmhouse was moved to the lot south, where it stands today. Altfillisch designed the two-story home and “matching” detached garage in the English Cottage style which was popular in the 1920’s-1940’s, and of which there are a number of examples in Decorah.
Characteristics of English Cottage architecture can be seen on the 900 Pleasant Avenue home.
- Asymmetrical design
- A steep, side-gabled main roof
- A sloping “cat-slide roof” extending over the screen porch
- An over-scaled chimney on the front ( an “eave wall chimney”)
- Arrangement of narrow multi-paned windows in groups (bands)
- A gabled,enclosed front entry with an arched doorway
To these common English Cottage features, Altfillisch added his own creative designs. He chose brick and wide redwood siding in the gables instead of stucco or shingle siding commonly used on English Cottage homes. Vertical brick was used on the window lintels and sills to contrast with the horizontal brick walls. Also a decorative brick arch complemented the shape of the front doorway.
The large single-pane bay window providing open views and also the large screened porch were not common on the English Cottage homes. Both features illustrate Alfillisch’s care to listen to his clients. He incorporated the Reardons’ wishes and also designed the home for its rural setting. ( A young Norman Berg was the primary finish carpenter)
