SP-3
217 EAST FIRST STREET 
DATE: ca. 1904 
ARCHITECT & BUILDER: Unknown

The unusual design of this house borders on the eccentric.  The first story is constructed of concrete blocks, adding to the massive quality of the porch posts, which are topped by enormous brackets that give the appearance of gargoyles.  The basic roof design is gambrel, with the lower slopes having a bell-like flare.  The second story protrudes through this lower slope as an overgrown dormer, which in turn supports two smaller dormers and has a novel repetition of the gambrel shape in the central gable.  The cypress shingling on the upper half of this house adds to the varied texture of one of the most intriguing facades in this part of Springfield.