Stephen Wright House
Encyclopedia
The Stephen Wright House is a home located in the Lee County, Illinois, United States, village of Paw Paw
. The Queen Anne style home was constructed sometime between 1895 and 1906 by Paw Paw real estate speculator Stephen Wright. Located along a former Native American
trail and stagecoach
line, the home is in an area of very similar Queen Anne style homes which may have also been built by Wright. Wright had left the property by 1906 and sold the property to another Paw Paw resident who stayed in the house until his death. The Stephen Wright House was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
on May 22, 2005.
to Chicago
; prior to that, the trail was used by the Potawatomi Indians. Today the stretch of former stage coach is County Route 10 and known locally as Chicago Road. The house itself sits back 30 ft (9.1 m) from the road, and the lawn
is enclosed by a picket fence
. Behind the house is a garage
which is considered a non-contributing factor
to the significance of the property by the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
. The property size has been reduced from its original 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) to the current area of less than 1 acres (4,046.9 m²).
and Illinois native Stephen Wright around 1895. 1895 tax records indicate that the lot where the house stands sold for US$
100; Wright bought it from a local farmer who owned a large amount of land in Paw Paw, then known as Wyoming Township. By 1906, records indicate that the property was transferred for a larger sum, $4,000, thus, it is believed that the home was constructed sometime between 1895 and 1906. Wright still owned the property in 1900 but by 1906 it had been sold to Ezra Bretz. Bretz was a native of nearby Brooklyn Township
and he lived in the home until his death in the 1940s. After Bretz died the house was converted into a duplex apartment
, a state it remained in until it was acquired by the Paw Paw Bible Church in the 1950s. The Bible Church converted the structure back into a single-family residence for use as a parsonage. In 2002 the house was purchased by its current owners but the Bible Church retained much of the original 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) site. The site once held a barn
which is no longer extant.
The house has a moderate-pitch hip roof
with lower intersecting gable
s and asphalt shingle
s. At the top of the roof is a 14 ft (4.3 m) by 14 ft (4.3 m) area which is flat, giving the roof its hipped quality; the area may have once hosted iron fretwork
. This subtype of Queen Anne style, classified as "hipped roof with lower cross gables" is among the most distinctive of Queen Anne characteristics and occurs in over half of all Queen Anne style homes.
The entire home stands upon a limestone
foundation. The exterior is clad in narrow wooden Clapboard
ing and the corner boards are topped with a trim that resembles Doric
capital
s. The front facade features a large projecting gabled wing extending out from the principle hip roof portion of the home. Directly beneath the projecting gable's eave is decorative shingle
work, a common element in Queen Anne style architecture.
on May 22, 2005.
Paw Paw, Illinois
Paw Paw is a village in Lee County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census the village was home to 870 people, up from 852 at the 2000 census. It was settled in the mid 19th century and by 1878 the village had a railroad connection. Paw Paw is home to a house which is listed on the U.S...
. The Queen Anne style home was constructed sometime between 1895 and 1906 by Paw Paw real estate speculator Stephen Wright. Located along a former Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
trail and stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
line, the home is in an area of very similar Queen Anne style homes which may have also been built by Wright. Wright had left the property by 1906 and sold the property to another Paw Paw resident who stayed in the house until his death. The Stephen Wright House was listed on the U.S. 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 May 22, 2005.
Location
The Stephen Wright House is located along a road that was historically used as a stage coach trail from Galena, IllinoisGalena, Illinois
Galena is the county seat of, and largest city in, Jo Daviess County, Illinois in the United States, with a population of 3,429 in 2010. The city is a popular tourist destination known for its history, historical architecture, and ski and golf resorts. Galena was the residence of Ulysses S...
to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
; prior to that, the trail was used by the Potawatomi Indians. Today the stretch of former stage coach is County Route 10 and known locally as Chicago Road. The house itself sits back 30 ft (9.1 m) from the road, and the lawn
Lawn
A lawn is an area of aesthetic and recreational land planted with grasses or other durable plants, which usually are maintained at a low and consistent height. Low ornamental meadows in natural landscaping styles are a contemporary option of a lawn...
is enclosed by a picket fence
Picket fence
A picket fence is a variety of fence that has been used mostly for domestic boundaries. Until the introduction of advertising on fences in the 1980s, a Cricket field was also usually surrounded by a picket fence, giving rise to the expression rattling the pickets for a ball hit firmly into the...
. Behind the house is a garage
Garage (house)
A residential garage is part of a home, or an associated building, designed or used for storing a vehicle or vehicles. In some places the term is used synonymously with "carport", though that term normally describes a structure that is not completely enclosed.- British residential garages:Those...
which is considered a non-contributing factor
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 significance of the property by the U.S. 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...
. The property size has been reduced from its original 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) to the current area of less than 1 acres (4,046.9 m²).
History
The Stephen Wright House is believed to have been built by Paw Paw real estate speculatorSpeculation
In finance, speculation is a financial action that does not promise safety of the initial investment along with the return on the principal sum...
and Illinois native Stephen Wright around 1895. 1895 tax records indicate that the lot where the house stands sold for US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
100; Wright bought it from a local farmer who owned a large amount of land in Paw Paw, then known as Wyoming Township. By 1906, records indicate that the property was transferred for a larger sum, $4,000, thus, it is believed that the home was constructed sometime between 1895 and 1906. Wright still owned the property in 1900 but by 1906 it had been sold to Ezra Bretz. Bretz was a native of nearby Brooklyn Township
Brooklyn Township, Lee County, Illinois
Brooklyn Township is one of twenty-two townships in Lee County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 876. In September 1858, Reynolds Township was formed from part of Brooklyn Township.-Geography:...
and he lived in the home until his death in the 1940s. After Bretz died the house was converted into a duplex apartment
Duplex (building)
The term duplex can be used to describe several different dwelling unit configurations:A duplex house is defined as a dwelling having apartments with separate entrances for two families. This includes two-story houses having a complete apartment on each floor and also side-by-side apartments on a...
, a state it remained in until it was acquired by the Paw Paw Bible Church in the 1950s. The Bible Church converted the structure back into a single-family residence for use as a parsonage. In 2002 the house was purchased by its current owners but the Bible Church retained much of the original 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) site. The site once held a barn
Barn
A barn is an agricultural building used for storage and as a covered workplace. It may sometimes be used to house livestock or to store farming vehicles and equipment...
which is no longer extant.
Architecture
The Stephen Wright House is an example of late 19th century Queen Anne style and stands on a block with three other very similar houses. The similarities suggest that Wright, a real estate speculator, may have built all three other houses as well. Though the home's builder is known, Wright, its architect is unknown.The house has a moderate-pitch hip 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...
with lower intersecting gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
s and asphalt shingle
Asphalt shingle
An asphalt shingle is a type of roof shingle. They are one of the most widely used roofing covers because they are relatively inexpensive and fairly simple to install.-Types:...
s. At the top of the roof is a 14 ft (4.3 m) by 14 ft (4.3 m) area which is flat, giving the roof its hipped quality; the area may have once hosted iron fretwork
Fretwork
Fretwork is an interlaced decorative design that is either carved in low relief on a solid background, or cut out with a fretsaw, coping saw, jigsaw or scroll saw. Most fretwork patterns are geometric in design. The materials most commonly used are wood and metal. Fretwork is used to adorn...
. This subtype of Queen Anne style, classified as "hipped roof with lower cross gables" is among the most distinctive of Queen Anne characteristics and occurs in over half of all Queen Anne style homes.
The entire home stands upon a limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
foundation. The exterior is clad in narrow wooden Clapboard
Clapboard (architecture)
Clapboard, also known as bevel siding or lap siding or weather-board , is a board used typically for exterior horizontal siding that has one edge thicker than the other and where the board above laps over the one below...
ing and the corner boards are topped with a trim that resembles Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
capital
Capital (architecture)
In architecture the capital forms the topmost member of a column . It mediates between the column and the load thrusting down upon it, broadening the area of the column's supporting surface...
s. The front facade features a large projecting gabled wing extending out from the principle hip roof portion of the home. Directly beneath the projecting gable's eave is decorative shingle
Roof shingle
Roof shingles are a roof covering consisting of individual overlapping elements. These elements are typically flat rectangular shapes laid in rows from the bottom edge of the roof up, with each successive higher row overlapping the joints in the row below...
work, a common element in Queen Anne style architecture.
Significance
The Wright House is an excellent local example of Queen Anne style architecture. Aspects of the home's massing as well as its ornate, Queen Anne details contribute to its excellence as an example of the style. The Stephen Wright House was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic PlacesNational 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 May 22, 2005.