1844 2nd Avenue Southeast
Cedar Rapids, IA, USA

William and Sue Damour House

The William and Sue Damour House is a historic house located at 1844 Second Avenue SE in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.


Description and history

Completed in 1917, this 2½-story, brick Georgian Revival structure was built by local contractor John Henry Cail. The house features a side gable roof with flanking chimneys and three gable dormers, a symmetrical facade, and a two-story solarium. A detached two-car car garage, built in 1926, sits behind the house. Located in the Wellington Heights neighborhood of Cedar Rapids, it is similar in size and construction to the other houses in this residential area.

The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 16, 1997, with the garage, deemed to be a second contributing building in the listing. In 2000 it was included as a contributing property in the Second and Third Avenue Historic District.

National Register of Historic Places - William and Sue Damour House

Statement of Significance:

Located in the historic Wellington Heights area of southeast Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the William and Sue Damour House is an excellent example of the Georgian Revival phase of the Colonial Revival style of domestic architecture. The house was constructed in 1917 by general contractor John Henry Cail who built numerous structures for more than 30 years prior to his retirement in 1939. Mr. Cail built the seawall around the island upon which the city's governmental buildings are located, and he built the seawall on the west side of the Cedar River which bisects Cedar Rapids.

The Damour House is a large two-and-one-half story brick edifice which has not been structurally altered since it was built. In 1926 a two-stall garage, also made of the same brick as the house, was erected at the north end of the lot, and a driveway from the Second Avenue (or south) side passes on the east side of the house under a portico to the garage.

The west side of the house features a two-story solarium and sleeping porch which are an integral part of the house as it was originally constructed, even though its white stucco, exterior-suggests that it was a later addition. The solarium is used year-round, thanks 'to the three hot water radiators and two ceiling fans. The sleeping porch on the second level with its 17 full-sized screened-in windows was used extensively during hot Iowa summers prior to the advent of air conditioning.

The front view of the Damour House shows a side-gable roof with a three-part symmetrical front and three gable dormers. The cornice returns on the gable end with modillions along the eaves. The home's front entrance is flanked by beveled side lights with a beveled transom above. The house features 16 casement windows on the first floor and a similar number on the second story. In 1983 the present owner replaced the first floor casement windows (excluding the solarium) with triple pane vinyl windows because many of the casements did not 'Operate properly and lacked screens. The upper panes are consistent with the original casement windows' general appearance, however.

The house features a massive brick fireplace on the west wall, and another chimney pierces the gable end peaks on the east side wall. Other interior features of the house include two built-in hutches in the dining room, built-in bookcases in the living room, a pantry between the kitchen and the dining room with cupboards, counters, a plate-warming radiator, and an ice door. The living room and dining room are separated by French doors as are these two rooms from the adjoining solarium. All doors are solid wood and original to the house. The home features hardwood floors throughout, although the upper floors are now carpeted except the bathrooms. A detailed floor plan of the first two floors is on Continuation Sheet Page.

The Damour House has certain unusual characteristics. These include a butler button in the dining room floor, a maid call switch to the third floor situated in a first-floor closet off the portico entrance, a vanity /dressing room between the master bedroom and an adjoining bedroom, many lighting fixtures (dining room chandelier and wall sconces) which are thought to be original, and a central vacuum system with wall outlets and a place for the motor unit in the full basement.

Virtually all the woodwork is painted, and there is no way of knowing whether this was done at the time of construction or whether natural woodwork was painted later.

The Damour House possesses a high degree of integrity. The house has not experienced any structural additions which might compromise its architectural significance.

Located in a potential historic residential district in the Wellington Heights area of southeast Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the William and Sue Damour House is locally significant under criterion C as an excellent example of the Georgian Revival phase of the Colonial Revival style of domestic architecture in the early years of the 20th century.

Other homes of similar size and construction were built on Second Avenue a block south of the main thoroughfare of Cedar Rapids in the period 1910-1925. Second Avenue is lined with mature trees, but at one time, Dutch Elms arched over the avenue, providing an ambiance of graciousness and beauty. After the elms were ravaged by disease, the city undertook an aggressive replanting program. The 1800 block of Second Avenue remains today one of the most interesting areas of architectural significance within one of the most historic areas of Cedar Rapids. The Damour House stands out as a jewel in this area.

A close examination of the home's floor plan reveals a circular traffic pattern with the sweeping stairway from the full front foyer to the second floor as its axis. The house is not "cut up" and its rooms are large and comfortable for gracious living. The fireplace with its clay tile hearth accommodates logs of 20-inch width.

The house has no central air conditioning because there is no duct work. It is heated by the original hot water radiators supplied by a gas-fired boiler which was installed by the present owner in the early 1980's. The original boiler was designed to accept coal, then heating oil before being converted to natural gas. The old coal room in the basement is now being used to store firewood, which is delivered from the driveway through a coal chute.

The Smiths are the sixth family occupying the house since it was built. Very little is known about the Damours, although Mr. Damour had several occupations including tax collector and general insurance agent. In 1929 the Damours sold the house to A.J. and Katherine Murray. After Mr. Murray died in 1941, his wife Katherine continued to live in the house until her death in 1966. Her estate transferred ownership to Forrest and Penelope Binger who lived there for eight years. Abbie A. Smith acquired title in.1979.

Even though there has been some minor loss of original materials, the overall integrity of the house remains high. The Damour House represents a genuine example of the Georgian Revival influence in the city.