Heirloom Home

Wilmot and Mary Hursey House

 

This ornate, two-story frame house, with its limestone foundation, clapboard siding, one-over-one windows, and cross-gable roof, was constructed in 1889. The house, with its many details, is an excellent example of the Stick style that was popular in the United States in the late nineteenth century. Its horizontal and vertical wood banding, prominent front gable roof, and decorative trusses and brackets are indicative of the Stick style. The corner tower with a steeply-pitched roof, the patterned shingles, and wraparound porch are additional characteristics that the Stick style shared with the slightly more popular Queen Anne style. A sympathetically designed one-story, gable addition that respects the design, scale, and materials of the original building is attached to the back of the house. The existing garage dates from 1992.

In 1889, Wilmot and Mary Hursey applied for a permit to build this house. The estimated cost of construction was $1,600, which was above average for this period. The distinctive home was built by local contractors, the Norley Brothers. According to the 1894-1895 city directory, Horace W. Davis, a bookkeeper for the Musser Manufacturing Co., was living in the house along with his servant Martha Fisher. By 1900, Davis was a bookkeeper for the Ann River Logging Company. At some point in time, the structure was used as the parsonage for St. Paul Lutheran Church on South 5th Street (personal communication with Dan & Janelle St. Claire). Condell McPherson later purchased the house from the church and was the primary resident in 1956. The current homeowners bought the house in 1984 from Mr. McPherson’s widow (personal communication with Dan & Janelle St. Claire).

Source(s): Information complied by 'The 106 Group' on 9/15/2008.

Washington County Parcel Identification Number (PIN): 3303020110057

Common Property Name: Wilmot and Mary Hursey House

Neighborhood: East Half of the Churchill, Nelson, Slaughter Addition

State Historic Preservation Office Inventory Number: WA-SWC-1458

Construction Date: 1889

Builder:

Architect:

Architectural Style: Stick/Eastlake