Dr. G.C. Stockman House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Dr. G.C. Stockman House
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 Location in Iowa
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| Location | 311 1st St., NE Mason City, Iowa |
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| Built | 1908 |
| Architect | Frank Lloyd Wright |
| Architectural style | Prairie School |
| NRHP reference No. | 80001441 |
| Added to NRHP | September 17, 1992 |
The Dr. G.C. Stockman House is a special home in Mason City, Iowa. It was designed by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1908 for Dr. George C. and Eleanor Stockman.
This house was originally located at 311 1st Street SE. But it was moved to 530 1st Street NE to save it from being torn down. Today, the Stockman House has been fully restored and is open to the public as a museum. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's an important historical site. Inside, you can see many original furniture pieces and copies from that time period.
Contents
The Story of the Stockman House
In 1907, Frank Lloyd Wright was asked to design a large building in Mason City. This building would include both a hotel and a bank. While he was visiting the area in 1908, a neighbor of the project, Dr. George Stockman, and his wife Eleanor asked Wright to design a house for them. Their lot was small and close to Wright's other big project.
For the Stockman House, Wright used an idea he had shared in a magazine called Ladies' Home Journal in 1907. This idea was for "A Fireproof House for $5000". It was a smaller, more compact version of Wright's Prairie Style homes. This design was meant to be more affordable for average families. The Stockman House was the third home Wright built using this "Fireproof House" plan.
Saving the Stockman House
The Stockman family owned the house until 1924. After that, it had many different owners. One owner even used it as a photography studio! Over time, the house became quite old and worn down. But luckily, not many changes were made to its original design.
In 1987, the last owner passed away, and the house was put up for sale. The only group that wanted to buy it was the nearby First United Methodist Church. They wanted the land for a parking lot. However, their offer was too low.
Because of this, a group of volunteers in Mason City formed the River City Society for Historic Preservation. Their goal was to save the house. A local inventor named David Murphy helped by donating extra money to the church. This allowed the church to buy the house and then donate it to the city, instead of tearing it down.
Moving and Restoring the House
The River City Society then took ownership of the house. Two years later, the house was carefully moved about two blocks east and two blocks north to its current spot.
After the move, a big restoration project began. This included putting on a new roof, fixing the outside walls (called stucco) and inside walls (called plaster), and installing new electrical and water systems. Most of the other parts of the house, both inside and out, were also repaired. The goal was to keep as much of the original materials and design as possible. Sometimes, they had to use newer, less expensive materials if the original ones were missing or too damaged. For example, the roof was covered with asphalt shingles instead of the original oak shingles.
The Stockman House officially opened to the public in 1992, after most of the restoration work was finished. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in the same year. Later, in 2009, the River City Society started building the Mason City Architectural Interpretive Center next to the house. This new building, which opened in 2011, has an auditorium and gallery space. It helps visitors learn more about the architecture of the area.
Unique Design Features
The Stockman House, like other homes built from the "Fireproof House" plan, has some small differences from the original design. For example, the entrance was made larger. A special roof that sticks out without support, called a cantilevered roof, was added over the entrance instead of a trellis. Also, a covered porch (now enclosed) was added to the north side. The flat roof was changed to a slightly sloped roof called a hip roof.
Most of the original furniture was lost as the house changed owners over the years. However, three built-in bookshelves and a dining room sideboard (a piece of furniture for serving food) are still there. Today, the house is filled with furniture from the Arts and Crafts Movement, a popular style from that time. Many of these pieces were designed by Gustav Stickley. You can also see oriental rugs and a few original or copied items designed by Frank Lloyd Wright himself. These include gold and white dishes from the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, which Wright also designed, and a dresser made from Wright's drawings.
See also
In Spanish: Casa del dr. G. C. Stockman para niños
- List of Frank Lloyd Wright works
