William A. Curtis House (Villa Florenza)
The 1915 Curtis House, a two-story Late Victorian/Neoclassical dwelling, is a stylish family home built by William A. Curtis for his mother and siblings. After the death of his father, William, his mother, and his eldest siblings pursued work and education to help support the younger Curtis siblings. William worked three jobs and his mother ran a hairdressing business in the previous family home on New Bern Avenue. In 1913, William purchased parcels in the newly developing African American neighborhood of Lincoln Park and built the house around 1915. Notable architectural features are the leaded and beveled glass in windows and the front door, classical columns and balustrade at the wraparound porch, and corbelled brick chimneys. Neoclassical style is evident inside, particularly at mantels and the grand center-hall stair.
Date: ca. 1915
