Address: 148 North Main Street
Contemporary Building Name: 148 North Main Street
Historic Building Name: E. Cook House
Present Use: Residential
Historic Use: Residential
Architectural style: Italianate
Date constructed: c. 1850 (Baber), 1884 (Assessor)
Description: The main block of the L-shaped house faces west toward the street, with its wing of two sections extending to the south. The front door is in the southernmost of the three bays of the main block. The door is flanked by plain pilasters surmounted by small consoles which hold a heavy flat cornice. The 1-over-1 windows of the first and second floors have slightly peaked lintels. A pair of narrow windows is at attic level under a small pierced triangular brace in the gable peak. The north side elevation has two windows at both first and second floors. Corner boards are narrow. In the first section of the wing the gable roof is parallel with the street, set back behind a shed-roofed porch supported by slender square posts and curved sawn brackets. The porch roof has a cross gable near the main block which bears a raised half sunburst. Windows are 6-over-1 with flat lintels. The roof of the second section of the wing is gable end to street with three windows at first floor and paired windows at second floor, all having peaked lintels. The arrangement of the fenestration and the detailing are similar to those of the main block, except for the glazing pattern which is 6-over-1 as found in the first section of the wing.
Significance: The main block of the E. Cook House appears to be transitional Greek Revival/Italianate in architectural style. The orientation of gable end toward street, with three bays, is characteristic of the Greek Revival, but also carried over into the Italianate. The heavy flat cornice over the front door, the peaked window caps, and the narrow paired attic windows are representative of the Italianate style which, overall, seems to be the best designation for the house. As a complication, however, the decorative brace in the gable peak and the sunburst pattern over the porch of the wing suggest the Queen Anne style. The second section of the wing, which is closely patterned after the main block, may be a late 20th century addition. The house identified on the 1869 atlas with the initials may be this building.
Sources: Baber, David. Capitol Region Council of Governments Historic Resource Survey of Marlborough, 1978.
Ransom, David. Historical and Architectural Resources Survey, Town of Marlborough, Connecticut. April 1998.
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