The house at 810 Amherst is currently the only textured concrete block Revolving Fund property, and may lay claim to the honor of being the only unaltered building of its sort in Winchester. Like the two previous properties, the land was originally part of the Glen Burnie estate, owned by Col. James Wood. The son of James Wood sold this land to Robert Steele, a Scottish immigrant. Mr. Steele was a gardener, well-known and liked in the area for his vegetables and flower beds. Mr. Steele's residence is reported to have been 338 Amherst St. in William Greenway Russell's What I Know About Winchester.The home is believed to have been built by Alexander Steele shortly after he purchased the property from Robert Steele in 1896.
Artistic textured concrete block reached its height of popularity in post-Victorian America and endured until the 1930's as an alternative to stone or brick. It was a popular material due to its inexpensive cost and its ability to be manufactured on site. More information on artistic concrete can be found in the Old House Journal, October 1984, Vol. XII No. 8.