The Brennan House
About
Date: ca. 1920
Historic Designation:
Current Use of Property: Private Home
The Brennan House, located at 2002 N. Stafford Street, is a Craftsman dwelling with a bungalow form constructed around 1920. The property was subdivided as part of the “West Cherrydale” subdivision of Cherrydale. Frank J. Brennan, a carpenter with experience in the housing industry, likely constructed the house for his family after buying the property in 1915. He later expanded the house from one-story to one-and-a-half-stories in the mid-to late 1930s. The Brennan family lived at 2002 N. Stafford Street for over forty years until they sold the house in 1961.
The bungalow form was one of the most widely used forms in the residential development of the Cherrydale neighborhood. In particular, the most common were those with one-and-a-half stories in height and side-gable roofs and dormers of which the Brennan House is an example. A one-story rear addition, which consisted of a screened porch and an extension to provide interior space for another bedroom, was built in 1972. Few major changes have occurred to the house since the construction of the one-story addition.
The Brennan House was constructed as part of the earliest phase of development in Cherrydale and stands as an extant example of one of the most popular styles utilized for residential architecture in the neighborhood. It is an exemplary and well-preserved example and contributes to the architectural heritage of the County and adds to our understanding of the historic development of Cherrydale and Arlington.
Architectural Details:
The Brennan House is a modestly styled one-and-a-half-story Craftsman dwelling with a bungalow form built around 1920. The bungalow form was one of the most prolific forms used for residential architecture in Cherrydale with the most common being one-and-a-half stories in height and featuring a side-gable roof with dormers. The house has an off-center entrance featuring a single-leaf, half-glazed wood door fronted by a metal storm door, a full-length front porch, and a rear addition that includes a screened porch. The building has a concrete block foundation with a wood frame structure clad in vinyl siding. The cedar shake siding remains underneath the vinyl siding. A central-interior brick chimney pierces the eastern slope of the side-gable roof. The roof is clad in architectural asphalt shingles; the original tin roof was replaced with asphalt shingles in 2012. The house features two dormers: one hipped roof dormer on the front elevation and a shed roof dormer on the rear elevation. The typical window for this residence is a one-over-one double-hung-sash wood window with an exterior metal storm window.
No significant outbuildings remain. A ca.1920 garage was located to the south of the house, but it was demolished by 1974. The original concrete ribbon driveway that led from N. Stafford Street to the garage remains in place although a portion of it was demolished around 2021. A wood pergola and concrete-paver patio, constructed in 2016, are situated in the rear yard. Also in the rear yard are the foundation remains of ca. 1920 outbuilding, likely an outhouse, which was demolished by 1936.
Significant People:
George H. Rucker (1862-1919): Rucker purchased the property on which the Brennan House was eventually constructed to include in his subdivision “West Cherrydale.” This was one of the earliest and largest of the initial subdivisions of the Cherrydale neighborhood; the houses built on these lots, of which the Brennan House was one of them, were constructed between 1907 and 1925. George H. Rucker was an Arlington County clerk and a real estate developer.
Frank (1892 -1983) and Minnie Brennan (1896-1939); Virgie Brennan (1898 – 1984): Frank Brennan purchased the three lots on which the Brennan House would be located from the Sniders in 1915 and constructed the single-family dwelling around 1920. It is likely that Frank Brennan constructed the house given his professional career as a carpenter and experience in the housing industry. Minnie Brennan passed away in 1939 and Mr. Brennan married Virgie between 1940 and 1950.
Dewey (1928-2004) and Mary Smith (1934-1992): Dewey and Mary Smith purchased the house from the Brennans. Under their ownership, they built a rear addition and a screened porch in 1972 and made changes to the interior.
More Information:
Location: 2002 N. Stafford Street
Photo Gallery
Location
2002 N. Stafford Street, 22207 View Map
38.89488274961142, -77.11225693541189
2002 N. Stafford Street ,
22207
2002 N. Stafford Street ,
22207
The Brennan House