Occasionally I come across a house so amazing that I need to feature multiple photographs and details of it. That is the case of the stunner on the northeast corner of Spring Avenue and Russell Boulevard. It almost takes up the entire lot, but again, like yesterday, the architect carefully designed the house to have two public faces along both thoroughfares.

City records say it was built in 1895, and I believe this was the Hequembourg House, either built for Charles or Alexander. I would call it an eclectic mix with Renaissance Revival elements. It’s classic upper middle class architecture around the turn of the last century.

The west elevation of the house is an intricate balance of public and private, with what looks to be a kitchen entrance and a balcony, and another fire escape from when the house was surely cut up into a boarding house.

The roofline alone is stunning. There are other beautiful buildings at the corner, as well. The northwest corner has a nice Romanesque Revival house, which is in excellent condition.

The apartment building on the southeast corner, owned by someone in New Melle, is kept in good condition.