Swetland House
Encyclopedia
The Swetland House is a historic residence in London
, Ohio
, United States
. Built in 1871, it is one of the city's leading Italianate
houses, and it was once home to one of London's leading citizens.
Jeriah Swetland
passed through London in 1843 and settled there permanently in 1856. Founding a business with his brother-in-law, he quickly prospered; within a decade, he had become one of the city's richest men. In the late 1860s, he purchased a large tract of undeveloped land southeast of downtown London and plat
ted it for resale; among the houses built in this area was his own, which was completed in 1871. Built of brick with an asphalt
roof, the house features many clear Italianate elements, such as multiple bay window
s, a hip roof
, multiple verandah
s, and ornate hoodmolds
. Two-and-a-half stories
tall, the house is divided into fourteen rooms.
For a time in the late twentieth century, the Swetland House was used as an arts center
, the London Community Arts Center. In early 1983, the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
, qualifying because of its connection to a leading local citizen and because of its distinctive historic architecture.
London, Ohio
London is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Ohio, United States. Located about southwest of the Ohio capital of Columbus, London was established in 1811 to serve as the county seat. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,771, an increase from 7,807 in 1990. It is the...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Built in 1871, it is one of the city's leading 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...
houses, and it was once home to one of London's leading citizens.
Jeriah Swetland
Jeriah Swetland
Jeriah Swetland was an American businessman and local politician in nineteenth-century central Ohio.A native of Springfield, New Hampshire, Swetland was the ninth of ten children born to Roswell and Naomi Swetland. At the age of nineteen, he left home for an apprenticeship in the harnessmaking...
passed through London in 1843 and settled there permanently in 1856. Founding a business with his brother-in-law, he quickly prospered; within a decade, he had become one of the city's richest men. In the late 1860s, he purchased a large tract of undeveloped land southeast of downtown London and plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted it for resale; among the houses built in this area was his own, which was completed in 1871. Built of brick with an asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
roof, the house features many clear Italianate elements, such as multiple bay window
Bay window
A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room, either square or polygonal in plan. The angles most commonly used on the inside corners of the bay are 90, 135 and 150 degrees. Bay windows are often associated with Victorian architecture...
s, a 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...
, multiple verandah
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...
s, and ornate hoodmolds
Crown molding
Crown molding encapsulates a large family of moldings which are designed to gracefully flare out to a finished top edge. Crown molding is generally used for capping walls, pilasters, and cabinets, and is used extensively in the creation of interior and exterior cornice assemblies and door and...
. Two-and-a-half stories
Storey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
tall, the house is divided into fourteen rooms.
For a time in the late twentieth century, the Swetland House was used as an arts center
Arts centre
An art centre or arts center is distinct from an art gallery or art museum. An arts centre is a functional community centre with a specific remit to encourage arts practice and to provide facilities such as theatre space, gallery space, venues for musical performance, workshop areas, educational...
, the London Community Arts Center. In early 1983, the house 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...
, qualifying because of its connection to a leading local citizen and because of its distinctive historic architecture.