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Photo credit: D. Taylor, 06/2004

Decatur Heights Historic District

Inventory No.: AL-IV-A-166

Date Listed: 12/28/2005

Location: Cumberland, Allegany County

Category: District

Period/Date of Construction: 1820-1950

Resources: 344 (309 contributing, 27 non-contributing)

Description: The Decatur Heights Historic District is a mixed-use residential/commercial/industrial historic district of 77 acres located on the northeast side of Cumberland. The district lies immediately east of the downtown and contains a total of 377 resources, including five properties previously listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The topography of the district rises from west to east, with much of the district lying in a valley between Waverly Terrace on the east and Bedford Street on the west. Baltimore Avenue--the National Road and later U.S. Route 40--rises considerably as it meanders westward from Henderson Avenue and climbs steeply as it moves northeast from Bellevue Street. The topography immediately east of Baltimore Street is precipitous, with a nearly 200' rise from Baltimore Street to Waverly Terrace. Approximately 50% of the resources in the district predate 1890, approximately 40% date were constructed between 1890 and 1930, and the remaining approximately 10% post-date 1930. The architecture of the Decatur Heights Historic District includes a strong concentration of vernacular residences, early row houses executed in the Federal and Greek Revival styles, a considerably smaller number of commercial buildings, and several institutional buildings, among which are the previously listed YMCA and AME Church and Carver School, a pre-integration African-American education resource. The majority of the domestic architecture is of wood and a smaller proportion is of brick, and most of the district's few commercial buildings are of brick. A particularly distinctive construction technique in the district--and seen elsewhere throughout the city--involves the use of brick laid in a stylized Flemish bond with double glazed headers. An alternative masonry construction technique involves the use of concrete block, which grew from late 19th and early-20th century technological advances and adds to the architectural importance of the district as a whole. The majority of buildings in the Decatur Heights Historic District are two to three stories in height and of a conventional rectilinear form, although a few buildings are irregular in form to match angled corners and intersections. The district's few commercial buildings are generally flat-roofed or have shed roofs which slope gently from front to back. Residential buildings have gabled and hipped roofs as well as front-to-rear-sloping shed roofs. A series of locally distinctive stylized French Second Empire-style buildings have Mansard roofs with dormers and a handful of Dutch Colonial Revival-style buildings have gambrel roofs. The architectural styles represented in the Decatur Heights Historic District include most of the design modes popular during the district's c. 1820-1950 period of significance. the district's earliest extant buildings date from the third and fourth decades of the 19th century; most of these are executed in Federal or Greek Revival style or in vernacular derivations thereof and many are row houses with three-bay facades and side-passage plans. Some of these houses include "eyebrow" windows at attic level. The Italianate style was popular in the middle and late decades of the 19th century, incorporating tall and narrow window proportions and overhanging cornices along the roofline. Some Italianate-influenced buildings in the district exhibit a level of sophistication of design, while others are simple in their detailing and incorporate modest brackets along the cornice of an otherwise-unadorned shed-roofed single-family residence or double house. The French Second Empire style is represented in the district by a series of dwellings with a locally distinctive variant of the characteristic Mansard roof which defines this particular style, some with dormers and others without. The Queen Anne style is characterized by substantial homes of irregular materials, plan, and finish, often incorporating into their design towers and turrets. The Colonial Revival dwellings in the district are modest in their detailing with the Palladian window being the most prevalent Colonial Revival-style detail. The Dutch Colonial Revival, a late 19th and early-20th century design mode, incorporates a characteristic gambrel roof and is also represented in the district. Purely 20th century styles such as Bungalows and American Foursquare houses also occur in the district. Among the most distinctive of the early-20th century dwellings in the district is the single-story brick residence built for Dr. Thomas Koon at 221 Baltimore Street, with broadly overhanging eaves and a roof of barrel tile. Previously listed in the National Register, the Koon House represents contemporary American design from the second decade of the 20th century. Many buildings in the district are of no formal architectural style, but rather reflect the vernacular building traditions of this community throughout the period of significance. These vernacular buildings contribute significantly to the broad-based architectural character of the district as a whole.

Significance: The Decatur Heights Historic District is significant for its association with the history of African-American education in Cumberland because of the presence in the district of the Carver School at 340-344 Frederick Street. It is also significant for its association with the exploration and settlement of the region, with the district positioned along the National Road and dating from the first decades of the 19th century. Significance for transportation is established by the presence of Baltimore Street originally known as the Baltimore Turnpike, which became part of the National Road, America's great early-19th century overland route westward. Lastly, the district is significant for its architecture, established by a strong, locally significant, and dense concentration of primarily residential buildings built between c. 1820 and the 1940s, among which are examples of many of the styles of design popular during the period of significance. Its significance is strengthened by the presence in the district of buildings representing the work of significant local architects, particularly Wright Butler, who was a leading designer in Cumberland in the late 19th and early 20th century. The period of significance begins in 1820, representing the approximate date of construction of the earliest buildings in the district, and ends c. 1950, a date by which the district's basic appearance had been established. The district retains integrity in its physical qualities, associative values, design features, and specific aspects of construction which date from its period of significance.

District Resources (344) (309 contributing, 27 non-contributing)

From associated listing in National Register nomination form. C = Contributing, NC = non-contributing, blank = not evaluated.

Address	Status	Resource Name and MIHP (if any)
205 Baltimore Avenue	C	AL-IV-A-151 -- Cumberland YMCA
212 Baltimore Avenue	C
220 Baltimore Avenue	C
221 Baltimore Avenue	C	AL-IV-A-126 -- Dr. Thomas W. Koon House
223 Baltimore Avenue	C
224-226 Baltimore Avenue	C
228 Baltimore Avenue	C
230 Baltimore Avenue	C	AL-IV-A-004 -- George Truog House (Leisure-Stein Funeral Home)
301 Baltimore Avenue	C
303 Baltimore Avenue	C
312 Baltimore Avenue	C
314 Baltimore Avenue	C
320 Baltimore Avenue	C
323-325 Baltimore Avenue	C
326 Baltimore Avenue	C
326 Baltimore Avenue	C
327 Baltimore Avenue	C
330 Baltimore Avenue	C
336 Baltimore Avenue	C
338 Baltimore Avenue	C
339 Baltimore Avenue	C
340 Baltimore Avenue	C
341 Baltimore Avenue	C
342 Baltimore Avenue	C
343 Baltimore Avenue	C
345 Baltimore Avenue	C
346 Baltimore Avenue	C
348 Baltimore Avenue	C
350 Baltimore Avenue	C
422-428 Baltimore Avenue	C
430 Baltimore Avenue	C
432 Baltimore Avenue	C
436 Baltimore Avenue	C
440 Baltimore Avenue	C
443 Baltimore Avenue	C
445 Baltimore Avenue	C
446 Baltimore Avenue	C
447 Baltimore Avenue	C
448 Baltimore Avenue	C
449 Baltimore Avenue	C
451 Baltimore Avenue	C
453 Baltimore Avenue	C
455 Baltimore Avenue	C
457 Baltimore Avenue	C
458-460 Baltimore Avenue	C
459 Baltimore Avenue	C
461 Baltimore Avenue	C
462-464 Baltimore Avenue	C
463 Baltimore Avenue	C
468 Baltimore Avenue	C
471 Baltimore Avenue	C
472 Baltimore Avenue	C
473-475 Baltimore Avenue	C
474 Baltimore Avenue	C
477 Baltimore Avenue	C
478-480 Baltimore Avenue	C
479-481 Baltimore Avenue	C
482-484 Baltimore Avenue	C
499 Baltimore Avenue	C
500 Baltimore Avenue	C
502 Baltimore Avenue	C
503 Baltimore Avenue	C
504 Baltimore Avenue	C
505 Baltimore Avenue	C
506 Baltimore Avenue	C
507 Baltimore Avenue	C
508 Baltimore Avenue	C
509-511 Baltimore Avenue	C
510 Baltimore Avenue	C
514 Baltimore Avenue	C
518 Baltimore Avenue	C
520 Baltimore Avenue	C
5 Bellevue Street	C
6 (?) Bellevue Street	C
7 Bellevue Street	C
9 Bellevue Street	C
11 Bellevue Street	C
20 Bellevue Street	C
107 Bellevue Street	C
109 Bellevue Street	C
114-116 Bellevue Street	C
115 Bellevue Street	C
117 Bellevue Street	C
211 Charles Street	C
212-214 Charles Street	C
213-215 Charles Street	C
216-218 Charles Street	C
220 Charles Street	C
222 Charles Street	C
223-225 Charles Street	C
205-207 Davidson Street	C
209 Davidson Street	C
223-225 Davidson Street	C
312 Davidson Street	C
316 Davidson Street	C
318 Davidson Street	C
321-320 Davidson Street	C
322 Davidson Street	C
324 Davidson Street	C
325 Davidson Street	C
326-328 Davidson Street	C
327 Davidson Street	C
332 Davidson Street	C
337 Davidson Street	C
340 Davidson Street	C
341 Davidson Street	C
342 Davidson Street	C
344 Davidson Street	C
347 Davidson Street	C
349 Davidson Street	C
354 Davidson Street	C
Decatur Street	C	AL-IV-A-136 -- African Methodist Episcopal Church
1 Decatur Street	C
3 Decatur Street	C
5 Decatur Street	C
7 Decatur Street	C
9 Decatur Street	C
10 Decatur Street	C
11 Decatur Street	C
12 Decatur Street	C
13 Decatur Street	C
15 Decatur Street	C
16 Decatur Street	C
17 Decatur Street	C
101 Decatur Street	C
102-104 Decatur Street	C
106 Decatur Street	C
108 Decatur Street	C
112-114 Decatur Street	C
115 Decatur Street	C
116 Decatur Street	C
119 Decatur Street	C
212 Decatur Street	C	AL-IV-A-007 -- House
216 Decatur Street	C
302 Decatur Street	C
304 Decatur Street	C
306 Decatur Street	C
307 Decatur Street	C
308-310 Decatur Street	C
312 Decatur Street	C
404 Decatur Street	C
405 Decatur Street	C
407 Decatur Street	C
409 Decatur Street	C
410 Decatur Street	C
411 Decatur Street	C
103 Decatur Street (103-111 Decatur Street)	C	AL-IV-A-005 -- Row Houses
105-107 Decatur Street (103-111 Decatur Street)	C	AL-IV-A-005 -- Row Houses
109 Decatur Street (103-111 Decatur Street)	C	AL-IV-A-005 -- Row Houses
111 Decatur Street (103-111 Decatur Street)	C	AL-IV-A-005 -- Row Houses
200-206 Decatur Street (200-208 Decatur Street)	C	AL-IV-A-006 -- Decatur Street Row Houses
307 Footer Place	C
309-317 Footer Place	C
Frederick Street	C
Frederick Street	C	Engine House No. 3
315 Frederick Street	C
317 Frederick Street	C
331 Frederick Street	C
340 Frederick Street	C
341 Frederick Street	C
345 Frederick Street	C
360 Frederick Street	C
17 Front Street	C
27 Front Street	C
55 Front Street	C
75 Front Street	C
204 Fulton Street	C
206 Fulton Street	C
207 Fulton Street	C
209-213 Fulton Street	C
212-216 Fulton Street	C
219 Fulton Street	C
220 Fulton Street	C
221 Fulton Street	C
222 Fulton Street	C
223 Fulton Street	C
200 Glenn Street	C
217-219 Glenn Street	C	AL-IV-A-141-3 -- Allegany Towers
221 Glenn Street	C
223 Glenn Street	C
224-226 Glenn Street	C
225 Glenn Street	C
230 Glenn Street	C
231 Glenn Street	C
232 Glenn Street	C
233-235 Glenn Street	C
234 Glenn Street	C
236 Glenn Street	C
404 Goethe Street	C
406-408 Goethe Street	C
410-412 Goethe Street	C
414 Goethe Street	C
418-420 Goethe Street	C
422 Goethe Street	C
424 Goethe Street	C
426-428 Goethe Street	C
427 Goethe Street	C
429 Goethe Street	C
432 Goethe Street	C
433 Goethe Street	C
435 Goethe Street	C
436 Goethe Street	C
437 Goethe Street	C
438 Goethe Street	C
440 Goethe Street	C
441 Goethe Street	C
443 Goethe Street	C
444 Goethe Street	C
445-447 Goethe Street	C
446-448 Goethe Street	C
450-452 Goethe Street	C
451 Goethe Street	C
453-455 Goethe Street	C
454-456 Goethe Street	C
457 Goethe Street	C
458 Goethe Street	C
459 Goethe Street	C
460 Goethe Street	C
461 Goethe Street	C
463 Goethe Street	C
464 Goethe Street	C
465 Goethe Street	C
466 Goethe Street	C
467 Goethe Street	C
468 Goethe Street	C
469 Goethe Street	C
470 Goethe Street	C
471 Goethe Street	C
472 Goethe Street	C
473 Goethe Street	C
474 Goethe Street	C
475 Goethe Street	C
477 Goethe Street	C
478 Goethe Street	C
479 Goethe Street	C
481-483 Goethe Street	C
482 Goethe Street	C
306 Helen Street	C
307 Helen Street	C
308 Helen Street	C
311 Helen Street	C
501 Linden Street	C
503 Linden Street	C
505 Linden Street	C
509 Linden Street	C
513 Linden Street	C
3 Marion Street	C
6-8 Marion Street	C
10 Marion Street	C
12-14 Marion Street	C
22 Marion Street	C
24 Marion Street	C
26 Marion Street	C
27 Marion Street	C
28 Marion Street	C
29 Marion Street	C
31 Marion Street	C
32-34 Marion Street	C
40 Marion Street	C
42 Marion Street	C
43 Marion Street	C
44 Marion Street	C
45 Marion Street	C
46-48 Marion Street	C
47 Marion Street	C
49-51 Marion Street	C
52 Marion Street	C
54 Marion Street	C
56 Marion Street	C
58 Marion Street	C
60-62 Marion Street	C
64-66 Marion Street	C
rear, 5 Marion Street	C
rear, 31 Marion Street	C
north side of Decatur Street	C	Sacred Heart Hospital wall
10 Schiller Terrace	C
12 Schiller Terrace	C
439 Waverly Terrace	C
441 Waverly Terrace	C
445 Waverly Terrace	C
447-449 Waverly Terrace	C
451 Waverly Terrace	C
452 Waverly Terrace	C
453 Waverly Terrace	C
461 Waverly Terrace	C
3 Weber Street	C
5 Weber Street	C
11 Weber Street	C
12-14-16 Weber Street	C
13 Weber Street	C
15-17 Weber Street	C
19-21 Weber Street	C
23 Weber Street	C
24 Weber Street	C
27 Weber Street	C
28 Weber Street	C
29 Weber Street	C
30 Weber Street	C
31 Weber Street	C
33 Weber Street	C
34 Weber Street	C
35 Weber Street	C
36 Weber Street	C
37 Weber Street	C
6 Westview Terrace	C
7 Westview Terrace	C
8 Westview Terrace	C
9 Westview Terrace	C
11 Westview Terrace	C
Baltimore Avenue	NC
236 Baltimore Avenue	NC
316 Baltimore Avenue	NC
501 Baltimore Avenue	NC
512 Baltimore Avenue	NC
19 Bellevue Street	NC
113 Bellevue Street	NC
224 Charles Street	NC
350 Davidson Street	NC
113 Decatur Street	NC
215 Decatur Street	NC	AL-IV-A-141-2 -- 215 Decatur Street
309-311 Decatur Street	NC
401 Decatur Street	NC
208 Decatur Street (200-208 Decatur Street)	NC	AL-IV-A-006 -- Decatur Street Row Houses
Frederick Street	NC	Frederick Street Carpet
Frederick Street	NC
329 Frederick Street	NC
333 Frederick Street	NC
63 Front Street	NC
81 Front Street	NC
462 Goethe Street	NC
Helen Street	NC
99 Henderson Avenue	NC
515 Linden Street	NC
517 Linden Street	NC
Marion Street	NC
437 Waverly Terrace	NC
486 Baltimore Avenue then cemetery then Yale X
301 Decatur Street		AL-IV-A-008 -- Deneen-Davidson House, site
303 Decatur Street
400 Decatur Street		AL-IV-A-010 -- Greek Revival House
319 Frederick Street
325 Frederick Street
Waverly Terrace
450 Waverly Terrace