This weeks Historic Home is 807 Summit Avenue.
Built in 1906 by Clarence Johnston for the Samuel Dittenhofer family, this home definitely stands out from the Victorian homes nearby. Jacob Dittenhofer built the home as a wedding gift for his son, Samuel, and his wife Madeline Lang.
The beautifully designed Tudor villa has a first floor exterior of brick and a second and third floor of stucco and half-timbering. It also has many gables, a feature typical in the Tudor style, with one “leg” of the east gable stretching down to the first floor. This feature seems to be popular on the Avenue as it is represented in about one third of the Tudor homes on Summit Avenue. It hasn’t changed at all over the years. View a photo of the home as it appeared in 1920.
According to one source, the Dittenhofers went off to Europe in 1936 and never returned. The home sat vacant until Madeline donated it to the Christian Brothers in 1966. In 1999, the home was sold for $825,000 and returned to its single family residential status. It has approximately 9100 square feet, 12 bedrooms, and seven bathrooms.