766 Glenn Road
1957
James M. and Julia C. Cartey
James Cartey was first an architectural student of and then an employee of Hajjar. Jim states that working for Hajjar was an exhilarating experience, the only job where he enthusiastically looked forward to working late into the night and over weekends. He states that his employer was always bubbling over with ideas and seemed to need little sleep at all. Hajjar told Jim that as an employee he should be living in one of his houses, so he designed this residence for the Glenn Road and Ridge Avenue location for Jim and his wife. After Hajjar left town, Jim embarked on his major career with the physical plant group at Penn State, although he also designed a few houses.
One might say that Jim got part of his pay in the house design. Jim not being flush with funds at the beginning of his career, the house is probably the most economical of the dwellings that Hajjar designed. Except for the glass sliding door area at the end of the great room on the lower level, there are no floor to ceiling window walls common in Hajjar's other houses. The lower level was simply painted concrete block. Still the result was a classical Hajjar design, a two-story shoebox with a 4-12 pitch roof (4 foot rise to 12 foot length) set into a hillside with a somewhat hidden entry from a flat-roofed breezeway connecting the house to the garage.
The main entrance is from the breezeway connecting the house to the garage.
This front photo of the house was taken in April 1991 at the time of sale to the present owners.
This 2003 view of the rear of the main house shows renovations by the current owners.
This 1991 rear view of the home clearly shows the breezeway and the semi-exposed basement. The patio over the rearmost part of the basement and the breezeway were enclosed by the current owners to provide a sun-lit family room. Of large size for the 50's when built, the homes are smallish by current standards.
Entrance to two bedrooms from upper sitting room.
Main home entrance from upper sitting room.
Staircase from lower level (under renovation).
Wall divided kitchen from lower level living-dining room.
A new stained glass art work by current co-owner Jamie Myers enhances the entryway. The garage can be seen beyond the former breezeway through the open door. View is from the top level.
The former breezeway was enclosed and extended to provide a spacious family room. The overall result might now better be called a Hajjar-Myers design.
The lower level fireplace is a typical Hajjar design; the entry stairs are behind. The pole to the left was formerly enclosed in a wall separating the kitchen from the dining-living room area.
