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O'Dea House (Berwyn Heights, Maryland)
Encyclopedia
The O'Dea House, is a historic home located in Berwyn Heights
, Prince George's County
, Maryland
, United States
. The house was built in 1888 from a pattern book design and is a -story frame Queen Anne-style dwelling. Most notable of its features is the three-story octagonal tower and varied ornamental surface coverings.
The O'Dea House is significant for its association with the development of Berwyn Heights, originally Charlton Heights, an early streetcar suburb
of Washington, D.C.
and for its architectural character. Beginning in the 1870s, the area northeast of Washington was the scene of active and continuous development as the population of the city increased and railroad suburbs such as Berwyn Heights gradually grew and expanded around it. The O'Dea House is one of the houses erected by the Charlton Heights Improvement Company to spur development of its new community. In typical fashion these company-built houses were often mail order or pattern book houses. The pattern for the O'Dea House is from an 1888 published design by Robert W. Shoppell.
The O'Dea House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1987. It was sold in 1939 to Lawrence and Alice O'Dea, and bears their name.
Berwyn Heights, Maryland
Berwyn Heights is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,942 at the 2000 census. It is bordered by College Park to the west, Greenbelt to the northeast, East Riverdale to the southwest, and Riverdale Park to the south....
, Prince George's County
Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The house was built in 1888 from a pattern book design and is a -story frame Queen Anne-style dwelling. Most notable of its features is the three-story octagonal tower and varied ornamental surface coverings.
The O'Dea House is significant for its association with the development of Berwyn Heights, originally Charlton Heights, an early streetcar suburb
Streetcar suburb
A streetcar suburb is a residential community whose growth and development was strongly shaped by the use of streetcar lines as a primary means of transportation. Early suburbs were served by horsecars, but by the late 19th century cable cars and electric streetcars, or trams, were used, allowing...
of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and for its architectural character. Beginning in the 1870s, the area northeast of Washington was the scene of active and continuous development as the population of the city increased and railroad suburbs such as Berwyn Heights gradually grew and expanded around it. The O'Dea House is one of the houses erected by the Charlton Heights Improvement Company to spur development of its new community. In typical fashion these company-built houses were often mail order or pattern book houses. The pattern for the O'Dea House is from an 1888 published design by Robert W. Shoppell.
The O'Dea House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1987. It was sold in 1939 to Lawrence and Alice O'Dea, and bears their name.
External links
- O’Dea House, Prince George's County, Inventory No.: PG:67-11, including photo in 1986, at Maryland Historical Trust website
- M-NCPPC Inventory of Historic Sites (Prince George's County); O’Dea House, entry 67-022-11, p. 47
- Historic American Buildings Survey