100 Pleasant Hill Drive

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Overview

05

Owner

Lester and Helen (Kersten) Larson

Address

100 Pleasant Hill Drive Decorah, IA 52101

Year Built

1940

Architectural Style

Colonial Revival Cape Cod Form

Tour Type

South Decorah Tour

DHPC Award 2018

As noted in the description of 500 Fifth Ave., Lester and Helen Larson moved into that 1932 Altfillisch-designed house soon after their marriage in Minneapolis in 1935. In 1940 Altfillisch designed a new home for the Larsons on Pleasant Hill, a one and a half story home in the Colonial Revival style with a Cape Cod form which was popular in 1880-1955. In his project book, Altfillisch identified the home as “English Cottage.”

Altfillisch designed the home for the steep pie-shaped lot at the crest of Pleasant Hill. The west facing rear of the home is designed to take in the nice views and utilize the slope. The walk-out basement has full windows and the west facing first floor has several windows including a bay window.

The home has a cedar shingle roof and white shake shingle siding on three sides. The front is faced in native limestone. This limestone ties the house and its breezeway to the original two stall garage. Altfillisch specified native limestone for several features of the house. Two front dormer windows are 6 over 6 double hung style. Many of the other windows are 8 over 8 with shutters. The decorative shutters’ geometric lattice work is a Altfillisch design not typical on most Cape Cod homes. Wrought iron is used for the railings near the front door, on the Juliet balcony and on the garage weather vane. Altfillisch designed arches and curves into features of this house and included many built-ins including a magazine rack, window seat and bookshelves.

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