1078 Gillespie Street, Schenectady :: Offered for $235,000
An Exceptionally Distinct Home
This Queen Anne Victorian home presents the timeless elegance and charming details you would expect to find in a home built in 1888, complete with a characteristic turret.
This style of home was designed and built from a maximalist view as a general guiding principal with a highly ornamental layout and design approach.
Queen Anne style American Victorian homes typically have an irregular shape with an asymmetrical front façade.
The list of architectural details is endlessly impressive, and includes details such as intricately carved woodwork, decorative moldings and ornamental ceilings. You will inevitably notice the enchanting stained glass and prominent pocket doors. The updated baths and kitchen offer bygone craftsmanship unified with modern amenities and sensible convenience.
The Front Porch of this home, sometimes referred to as “the outdoor parlor”, serving as a social space meant for relaxing with family, friends and neighbors as an extension of the main Parlor of this Victorian home. The chosen color palette, particularly the use of purple, accentuates the trim and turned porch columns, reflecting traditional Victorian design choices.
The First Floor Plan of this
Late 19th Century American Victorian
The first floor comprises the Foyer, the Parlor, the Library,
the Kitchen, a full ceramic tiled Bathroom,
the Dining Room and a Formal Sitting Room.
The Foyer: It has been said that great impressions begin at the front door. You will be eager to welcome family and friends alike in the gracious foyer, which establishes a distinguished entrance, highlighted by an elaborate front door, stained glass panels, carved medallions, and wood paneling.
The Parlor, with its natural wood paneled walls, ceilings and hard wood flooring, engenders a sense of awe and appreciation. The enveloping woodwork and stained glass contained in this room contributes both warmth and texture and creates an opulent atmosphere. The natural pattern of the wood grains is appreciated on their own. The non-functional fireplace serves as a decorative focal point.
The Library (or Family Room or Dining Room) presents more of the ornate craftsmanship from an era that is considered to be the peak of Victorian woodwork. You’ll be charmed by the abundant use of wood throughout the walls and the framed ceiling.
The carved rosettes and moldings certainly elevate the appearance and enhance the stateliness of this room. This room also includes a pantry or China Closet.
The wood stove is in operable condition, stated by the owner of the property.
The Kitchen reveals all the essential elements to satisfy the family chef and will be the envy of many! The pickled oak cabinets and ceramic tiled floor brighten the room and atmosphere while preparing meals.
Please note: The stovetop is believed to be operational, but the oven and dishwasher are not functioning.
The full ceramic tiled bathroom has been updated with modern materials, yet the bath retains the original intention in Victorian design with a pedestal sink and a cast-iron porcelain-enameled claw foot tub. This bathing tub style emerged in Victorian styled homes as a symbol of both luxury and cleanliness as indoor plumbing became widespread in the late 19th century.
The Dining Room has a generous proportion with hard wood flooring and natural woodwork framing the windows and doorways. The original and decorative pressed metal ceiling reflects natural lighting, thereby making the room more appealing and comfortable.
Pressed metal ceilings were the preferred design detail of certain rooms in American Victorian design during the late 19th century over plaster inasmuch as they were easier to clean and lasted longer than ornate plaster ceilings.
The arched doorway houses a set of pocket doors which afford an intentional sense of weight and stately importance to the room.
The Formal Sitting Room of a Victorian home of this era can be known by several other names such as “The Front Room” or “The Drawing Room”. The term “sitting room” became more associated with the idea of a casual, family-oriented living area which contrasted with the more formal parlor.
You’ll notice the deep emerald walls which are contrasted by the ruby red window coverings that naturally combine with the rich grain found in the wood floors together with the moldings of the archway and windows.
The Second Floor: Ascending the staircase, additional stained glass elements mark the transition to the upper level, which includes three bedrooms, a full bathroom, a second-floor laundry, and a sitting room with yet another set of pocket doors.
The generous size of the bedrooms will make a favorable impression upon you, right away.
The primary bedroom is large enough to accommodate a king sized bed and your big screen TV. This bedroom has the space for those items and others, too!
Unlike the public-facing rooms found on the first floor, bedrooms presented simpler architectural details but still included ornate decorative elements in some pieces of bedroom furniture.
Bedrooms in the American Victorian era of the late 19th century were considered to be private and practical areas and would have been furnished with heavy, carved pieces of furniture with velvet upholstery.
Another common Victorian design element was the widespread use of vertical striped wallpaper since they created a striking illusion of higher ceilings, a desirable effect found in Victorian interiors.
The generously sized second floor Sitting Room may be accessed from either the second floor hall or the primary bedroom. You’ll notice the beamed ceilings and distinctive millwork, a staple of American Victorian design.
Modern use of such a room is likely found to be a home office or a computer room.
In the late 1880’s, a sitting room generally served as an everyday family space for leisure, games, reading and conversation.
The second floor ceramic bath features modern ceramic tiling, with a Victorian signature pedestal sink and a tub and shower combination for practicality.
How often have you had the thought “I wish I had a laundry room on the second floor.”? Many people have that thought. The size and location of this room make the task of washing clothes easier without the necessity of having to go up or down stairs.
The Basement houses all the mechanical elements of the home including the natural gas fired boiler, the natural gas fired hot water tank and the 150AMP circuit breaker electric service.
The full, walk-up Attic may present an opportunity to expand the living space found in this home. The attic is floored and includes a signature arched window, an extension of the typical styling of a Queen Anne style found in windows and doorways.
The Rear Porch presents a more utilitarian and private space for socializing with family and friends. When originally built, the rear porch was likely an extension of kitchen to perform household work or food preparation.
The single car detached garage became a later addition to this home. It has clapboard siding and an asphalt shingle roof of unknown age.
What may have been the predecessor of the garage in this home was known as a “Carriage House” which stored horse drawn carriages and, in some cases, living quarters for the driver or stable hand. Garages came to replace carriage houses from approximately 1910 – 1920 and were typically “detached” from the house due to the perceived risk of fire from gasoline tanks in the automobile.
If it has been your dream to own a classic American Victorian that retains the original beauty, character and high quality craftsmanship, while providing the opportunity to customize and personalize this home to be your very own home, this is the house for you.
Coming home will consistently provide you with a sense of thanksgiving and a daily celebration of a classic design!
Call today to schedule a private showing.
Middle School: Oneida Middle School :: 1.1 miles distance from from 1078 Gillespie Street
Schenectady City School District Taxes: $3345.05 (Amount sans STAR exemption)
Municipal Sewer: City of Schenectady Engineering Department
Please note: The stove top is believed to be functional while the oven and dishwasher are not functional. The washer is non-functional.
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All information set forth herein is deemed reliable and accurate based upon the date together with current market and economic conditions. However, I do not guarantee and cannot warrant that the appraised value may increase or decrease over time and as such, neither Mark R. Phoenix nor Mark Phoenix Realty, LLC shall be liable for any deviation between the estimated market value and the actual sale price. Square footage depicted in floor plans cannot be guaranteed.
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