The house at 1424 Warm Springs Avenue built by the Supreme Court Justice, Alfred Budge, in 1931 for his son Dr. Alfred Budge Junior. This house had several plans drawn up for it by 1931, the main one being for a Tudor style house in brick. However, the backup plans were used and it was built as an American Colonial Revival. The original plans drawn up by Hummel Architecture, kept by the owners today, show in fact that many parts of the home are different than originally intended. This was not uncommon for the time, as many houses that were constructed by Hummel had several alternative plans. This house proved to be a hassle for not only the architects, who had to draw up several different plans to please the Budges, but also the construction workers seeing as there were three different construction contracts that were all put into action May 29th 1931.
Being American Colonial Revival, this house has very prominent characteristics, such as having side gables, dormers, and even being somewhat symmetric, including having a chimney in the dead center of the home. However, as the current and 5th owner described, this house is a so-called “half-house,” due to the fact that it isn’t completely symmetric. It is said that if the house were to be doubled on the other side, leaving the front door centered on the front of the home, it would be perfectly symmetric. Other defining characteristics that can be seen include the elaborate doorway with decorative crown pediment, and the Doric columns that can be seen on either side of the entrance way. Something interesting about the pediment above the door is that in the original plans it was described as being similar to a shell, while today is resembles a flower.
Inside the house there are some very unique aspects that not only go along with this time period, but also add a lot to the home. For instance, there is an archway theme throughout the house as well as crown molding on the entire first floor. Also, before a recent remodel, the kitchen ceiling was the exact height of the tops of the arches making the kitchen feel slightly crowded and claustrophobic. After the remodel, the ceiling was raised to a comfortable ten feet. Even though the current kitchen has state of the art appliances, much was done to ensure that the house was actively kept in the American Colonial Revival style.
Off of the kitchen, through a double-hinge door, lies the dining room where there is a fascinating element. Underneath the rug is a button that when pushed would call the servants in the kitchen to bring in the food. Although the wires that connect the button to the kitchen are no longer “hot”, they are still in existence. Additionally, the dining room has pasted on its walls very fitting wallpaper for the original time period. The dining room is truly an amazing part of the home, that is very inviting and helps add a warm feeling. The fixtures seen all through the home are original, including the double hinges, but many had to be cleaned by the Williams, due to the fact that the previous owner painted over them.
All throughout the house are indents in the walls used for decorative and functional purposes, including housing some of the house’s radiators. Radiators can be seen in the entire house, which uses the geothermal water that Warm Springs is known for to heat the home. The radiators are even capped and used as tables or shelves in some cases, which shows just how efficiently the space in these homes is used. In the basement of the home, there is a laundry room, a storage room, as well as a large “hang out room” that was used by the Williams’ twin sons before they left the home. There are also many exposed pipes filled with geothermal water that hang from the ceiling, which is a defining characteristic of Warm Springs Avenue. Although there is an unfinished quality that comes with the exposed pipes, it shows authenticity of the home and it is still extremely easy to feel at home. Finally, in the great room in the basement, there is a fireplace that uses the same chimney as the one on the main level. This fireplace, although never used by the current owners, is assumed to still work just as well as the one on the main level.
In the upstairs of the home, there are three bedrooms, an office, as well as a bathroom. The master bedroom, which is in the front of the house, has a very interesting roofline, due to the dormers that exist on the front of the home. Also, there is a bathroom that is attached to the master bedroom, which is actually very uncommon for a house of this time period. When the Williams moved into this house, all of the rooms in the upstairs were themed, with one being all gold, and another with British flags hung almost in every possible location. One interesting fact that pertains to the “British Room” is that it has a very small balcony that opens up to the back of the home. Also, the recently renovated bathroom that is used by the other two bedrooms is notable due to its black and white tile color scheme that is interlaced between the subway tiles. Other interesting details of the home that can be seen upstairs include the laundry chute and the entrance into the attic. The attic amazingly has ten foot ceilings, which can be seen from the outside of the home, but unfortunately is not very accessible. Inside of the unfinished attic, Ms. Williams stores many miscellaneous items, but hopes to finish it one day and use it for a more suitable space, such as a library.
Other interesting facts about this truly one of a kind American Colonial Revival style home include the garage as well as the original “hitching posts” seen out front. The garage fits about one and a half cars, but is assumed to have fit two buggies of the time it was built. This garage was been slightly redone since its original construction, but still exhibits the same qualities and matches the house flawlessly. The two hitching posts were used during the early to mid 1900’s, when Warm Springs was only a mile long road from about where Broadway is to the Natatorium. Although they are not in pristine condition, one can still see the hole where a large ring was attached.