Thomas Koon House

Thomas Kooon House
Photograph by Kathleen McKenney, courtesy of the City of Cumberland

Thomas Koon House, 1980
NPS Photograph by Ronald L. Andrews

The Thomas Koon House is a relatively rare example of Craftsman style architecture in the Cumberland and Western Maryland area. It was built in 1912 as a house and office for Thomas Koon (1870-1946), a local physician who served as Mayor of Cumberland from 1914 to 1932. Koon had a strong influence over the growth and development of the city in the early 20th century. Some of his many accomplishments as Mayor include the paving of city streets, the installation of a new water system, the construction of new firehouses, and the expansion of the city's boundaries.

The Koon house is distinguished architecturally for its design elements that differentiate it from the bungalow, the most commonly found Craftsman influenced house form in Cumberland. The Koon house was built in a large scale, with horizontal massing of rectangular shapes, a hipped roof covered with round terra cotta tiles, and a single exterior wall covering (brown brick). The interior of the house conveys a feeling of open space, an important feature of this period. While these modern forms and concepts were chosen by the architects of the Koon house, they also incorporated Queen Anne details they were familiar with from the late 19th century, such as a curved stairway, decorative mantel in the office, bowed wall of the dining room, and sash windows at the rear of the house. The house today remains a private home.

The Thomas Koon House is located at 221 Baltimore Ave., just east of the Downtown Cumberland Historic District. As a private residence, the house is not open to the public.

Itinerary Home | List of Sites | Map | Learn More | Next

Comments or Questions

NEP