Henry S. and Magdalena Schwedes House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Henry S. and Magdalena Schwedes House
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The Henry S. and Magdalena Schwedes House from the northeast
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | 230 E. Main Street, Wabasha, Minnesota |
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| Area | Less than one acre |
| Built | 1882 |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| MPS | Red Brick Houses in Wabasha, Minnesota, Associated with Merchant-Tradesmen MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 89000371 |
| Designated | May 15, 1989 |
The Henry S. and Magdalena Schwedes House is a cool old house in Wabasha, Minnesota, in the United States. It was built way back in 1882. This house is special because it was part of a trend where important business people in Wabasha built their homes out of brick.
In 1989, this house was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important building because of its unique design. It shows off the Italianate architecture style, which was very popular in Wabasha when it was built. It also represents a new group of successful business owners who chose to live in brick homes.
What Does the Schwedes House Look Like?
The Schwedes House is made of brick. Originally, it had two main parts. The front part was a two-story square shape. The back part was a bit smaller, with one and a half stories.
Around 1910, the house got some updates. A new one-story section was added to the back. A bay window was also added to the front corner. These new parts were designed to match the original style of the house. Even the special window frames look the same!
The house has classic Italianate features. These include its square shape and the low, gently sloped roofs. It also has wide, overhanging eaves (the part of the roof that sticks out). The tall windows with decorative hoods are another key feature. Some fancy brackets that used to be under the eaves are no longer there.
The front door is inside a brick entrance that sticks out a bit and has its own small roof. On the south side, there's a wraparound veranda (a covered porch) off the kitchen. In the backyard, there's a garage built in the 1900s. This garage is not considered part of the historic listing.
Who Lived in the Schwedes House?
Henry S. Schwedes was born in Wisconsin. His parents were immigrants from Germany. In 1882, Henry married the daughter of Lucas Kuehn, who was a very successful merchant in Wabasha.
Henry joined his father-in-law's business. He worked as a bookkeeper, which was what he had studied to do. Lucas Kuehn had this house built for Henry and his new wife. It was right next door to Kuehn's own home!
Henry Schwedes quickly became important in the company. He became the secretary-treasurer and later the general manager.
Why is This House Special?
The Schwedes House is one of about 20 brick homes from the 1800s that are still standing in Wabasha. These houses were built by the first two groups of successful business people in the city. They form a unique collection of buildings.
This is different from most other towns in Minnesota. In other places, people often built fancy wood-frame homes in the Victorian architecture style. In Wabasha, building with brick seemed to be a local preference. It wasn't because brick was easier to get there. Other towns like Lake City and Red Wing were bigger brick makers.
