Richards DAR House
Encyclopedia
The Richards DAR House is a historic house museum in Mobile, Alabama
, United States. The Italianate
style house was completed in 1860 for Charles and Caroline Richards. It is a contributing property
to the De Tonti Square Historic District
, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on February 7, 1972. The six Daughters of the American Revolution
(DAR) chapters in Mobile jointly operate and maintain the house. It is noted by architectural historians as one of Mobile's best preserved and elaborate examples of mid-19th century domestic architecture.
captain
, and his wife, Caroline Elizabeth Steele. It remained in their family until 1946, when it was purchased by the Ideal Cement Company. That company renovated it for office use in 1947. It was turned over to the city of Mobile in 1973, which then leased it to the Daughters of the American Revolution for operation as a museum.
. It features an elaborate cast iron
veranda
, with allegorical figures representing the four seasons, across the three bays of the main front elevation. The deck of the veranda is marble and granite. Bracketed cornice
s and paneled soffit
s at the roof line are topped by a shallow hipped roof
.
The interior is divided on a side-hall plan. Notable ornamental features are a curved staircase
, marble mantels, the original bronze chandeliers, and floor-length windows overlooking the veranda.
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, United States. The Italianate
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
style house was completed in 1860 for Charles and Caroline Richards. It is a contributing property
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
to the De Tonti Square Historic District
De Tonti Square Historic District
-References:...
, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on February 7, 1972. The six Daughters of the American Revolution
Daughters of the American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership organization for women who are descended from a person involved in United States' independence....
(DAR) chapters in Mobile jointly operate and maintain the house. It is noted by architectural historians as one of Mobile's best preserved and elaborate examples of mid-19th century domestic architecture.
History
The house was built in 1860 for Charles G. Richards, a steamboatSteamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
captain
Captain (nautical)
A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
, and his wife, Caroline Elizabeth Steele. It remained in their family until 1946, when it was purchased by the Ideal Cement Company. That company renovated it for office use in 1947. It was turned over to the city of Mobile in 1973, which then leased it to the Daughters of the American Revolution for operation as a museum.
Architecture
The exterior of the two-story brick house is Italianate in style. The rectangular main block is offset at the rear with semi-octagonal baysBay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
. It features an elaborate cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
veranda
Verandah
A veranda or verandah is a roofed opened gallery or porch. It is also described as an open pillared gallery, generally roofed, built around a central structure...
, with allegorical figures representing the four seasons, across the three bays of the main front elevation. The deck of the veranda is marble and granite. Bracketed cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
s and paneled soffit
Soffit
Soffit , in architecture, describes the underside of any construction element...
s at the roof line are topped by a shallow hipped roof
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
.
The interior is divided on a side-hall plan. Notable ornamental features are a curved staircase
Stairway
Stairway, staircase, stairwell, flight of stairs, or simply stairs are names for a construction designed to bridge a large vertical distance by dividing it into smaller vertical distances, called steps...
, marble mantels, the original bronze chandeliers, and floor-length windows overlooking the veranda.