[Illustration: The Damon home
710 Northwood Avenue]
A Fort Dodge architect—E. O. Damon Jr.—who began his career as a naval
architect—designed and built this Colonial-type Snell Place home in
1916. He and his family resided in the home for many years while he was
busy designing many houses and buildings.
Damon died in 1948 at age 72 and in 1949 the home was sold to Paul E.
McCarville, Fort Dodge attorney, and his wife, Helen, who have since
resided there.
Located at 710 Northwood Ave., the three-story brick residence faces the
east. At the rear of the house and attached to the garage is a large
screened-in summer porch the McCarvilles built some years ago. It has
been a popular place for the McCarvilles and their family that included
two daughters—Mrs. Mary Alice Coleman, Fort Dodge; and Mrs. Carl A.
Nelson, Wayzata, Minn.
The house has traditional colonial styling with white shutters on the
first floor windows and green shutters on the second floor windows.
Third floor windows are set into dormers. A large hall extends east to
west through the house from the front door entrance and there is a
staircase with mahogany railing and white spindles from the first to the
third floor.
The first floor has large living room with fireplace, dining room,
sunroom, butler’s pantry, second pantry and half bath. The second floor
includes a master bedroom, two other large bedrooms, sunporch, study,
children’s room and two full baths. A sitting room, bedroom, bath and
attic storage space are on the third floor. All woodwork in the house is
white but doors are dark mahogany.
A large pastel landscape hangs over the fireplace in the living room.
The original painting depicts an attractive country scene and was the
work of Robert Reaser, a widely-known artist who resided in Fort Dodge
for a time.
Damon, a native of Northhampton, Mass., took his naval architectural
training in Scotland, returned to the U. S. and practiced for a time in
the south before coming to Fort Dodge in 1912. He was married to Georgia
Mason and after Snell Place was platted they built their Northwood Ave.
home. Damon was well known for his architectural work that included the
addition to Mercy Hospital (now Trinity East), the City Hall and
Wahkonsa School.
The Damons were parents of two sons, Mason Damon, Buffalo, N. Y.; and
Kent Damon, Rochester, N. Y. Following the death of his first wife,
Damon was married to Edna Wheeler Dougherty.