Warren and Alice Cundy House

2001 W. 8th St.

This small house was built about 1890, though County records date it back to 1881. Warren Cundy did not own the property until 1889 at the earliest; however, it’s remotely possible that a previous owner constructed the house. We do know that Warren Cundy was a sawmill engineer during the peak years for the lumber industry in the 1880s and 1890s. Records also show that Alice divorced him in 1898. While still uncommon, divorce was not unheard of, with desertion and cruelty as oft-cited grounds. This little gem in Goat Hill overlooking the West End was saved by the current owner who had the structure lifted and a new foundation built. It represents the Folk Victorian, a style popular from the 1880s to about 1900. As railroads expanded, home builders could easily transport wood and add such Victorian features as spindle work detailing, gables, and cornices to traditional, older houses. Folk Victorian is described as a working-class version of Queen Anne.