The Cutler House

 

Howard Cutler, born in 1883, might be most famous for designing the Kodak Tower in Rochester, New York, but here  in Washington DC, his architecture is found all over town including the Masonic temple in Silver Spring, Bethesda Chevy Chase High School, and St Andrew’s Church in College Park. He also designed the unassuming but handsome home at 5404 Cathedral Avenue. 

The first owner, William Franklin Young, was born on a farm in 1860 in Fairfax Virginia- just before the Civil War. He moved to DC by 1889 and married Sina V. Collins relatively late in life. He was 30, and she was 26. I found them in the 1900 census renting a house in DC and living with their  three children- Ruth,Thomas, and Calvin. The census listed Sina as a house inspector, and William was a carpenter. The family wanders a bit in the next twenty years. In 1910, they were living in Fairfax. In 1920, they moved to Miami, Florida, but then William bought the lot on Cathedral Ave in 1923 and built the house in 1926 when he was 67 years old. Was he unhappy in Florida? Or was it an investment? In any case the house went on the market starting in 1927 according to this ad in the Evening Star.

The house didn’t sell. Maybe the Depression was partly to blame.  In the 1930 census, the Youngs were all living on Cathedral Ave. Their son Calvin, now 37, still lived at home. Calvin was a steamfitter. 

 In 1932 The Youngs left Calvin behind and moved back to Florida. They finally sold the house in 1934 to David and Grace Rogerson, a young couple with three boys. David Jr, Chester, and William. David supported the family by working in the dairy industry,  I found this little clipping on Dec 25, 1940 in the Evening Star. (Weaver Place is now called Arizona Avene)

Poor Chester...I wonder if he got the bike for Christmas?

In 1946, the couple divorced. David moved to Baltimore and remarried while Grace stayed in the home with the boys. In the 1950s, Grace joined the bowling league at Palisades church. The boys went to Wilson High School and afterwards, David Jr joined the military. 

Grace sold the house in 1962 to Ruth Olsen and Marguerite Roney who were living there when I moved onto the block. The "bluestone finish" had been inexplicably painted black by then which, I imagine, set Howard Cutler to rolling in his grave. 

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