Photo from 2003-2004
Architectural Survey Cards, Histories, House Highlights
545 Madison Avenue SE is located in Heritage Hill. It was built in 1905.
Geographic coordinates are 42.952627°N, 85.659125°WLatitude: 42°57′9.457″N
Longitude: 85°39′32.85″W.
Inside the front doors is first a beautiful wooden staircase leading to the upper level. The walls are decorative plaster. To the right is a parlor with a large built in fireplace. The woodwork in this room is spectacular, a highlight of the home. Along that same side of the house is a large dining room, again with built in wood cabinetry and wood paneling. From the hallway is also a small half-bath with a frosted glass window above eye-level which can be opened. The NW corner is the kitchen with a large trough sink and floor to ceiling cabinets. The south side of the lower level is a breakfast room at the rear corner and large living room with tall ceilings.
The first room reached on the upper level is a large enclosed porch at the west side of the house. The north side of the staircase has 2 bedrooms, one at each corner and in the middle is another small room and a staircase leading to the unfinished loft area. The main bathroom is at the front, center of the house. It has a claw foot tub. The master suite is on the south side of the house, this is a large room with wood paneling.
The basement is rough and unfinished. There is a boiler and radiators as the heat source for the home. At the back of the house is a boarded up and sealed doorway which would have been previously taken you to the back yard. This home is not upgraded with insulation, double-pane windows, modern electrical, etc. (As of 2005-06)
It has been told that the house was built for a man whose brother lived in one of the neighboring homes and that he wanted this home to be more grand than that of his brothers. The Meyer May house is very close by.
The home had been a rental until it was foreclosed around 2008. It had then been sold to an owner-occupier and vastly cleaned up.
