Italian Center facts for kids
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Italian Center
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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East profile and south elevation, 2008
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| Location | Poughkeepsie, NY |
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| Built | ca. 1857 |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Part of | Mill Street-North Clover Street Historic District (ID72000834) |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000833 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 19, 1972 |
| Designated CP | February 7, 1972 |
The Italian Center is a special old house in Poughkeepsie, New York. It's home to an organization that helps the local community. This building is part of a larger historic area called the Mill Street-North Clover Street Historic District.
The house was first built around 1857. Over the next 30 years, it grew bigger and changed its look. The Italian Center organization started in 1928 and bought the house that same year. They added a new part to the back in the 1960s. Because of its history, the Italian Center was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 19, 1972.
Contents
About the Building's Design
The Italian Center is a two-story building. It sits near the edge of the historic area in Poughkeepsie. The building is made of brick with stone details on the corners and around the windows.
Cool Architectural Features
The front of the building has a pointed roof section called a gable. There's also a tower that reaches up to a third floor. The roof is made of slate. Both the gables and the tower have sharp decorations on top called finials. The gables also have fancy wooden boards called bargeboards.
You can see a chimney and a small window called a dormer on the roof. Instead of a regular cornice (a decorative molding), there's a row of wooden brackets under the roof's edge. On the third floor of the front of the building, some bricks are arranged in a wavy pattern.
Windows and Porch
On the first floor, there's a large triple window with a curved, stained glass top. A similar double window with a curved top is on the second floor.
A porch, called a veranda, wraps around the front of the building to the main entrance. This porch is held up by seven turned columns. These columns have a spindle decoration at the roofline. The porch railing has a grid pattern. It has a large square post and an acorn-shaped top where it meets the front steps.
Modern Addition
A large, modern part was added to the back of the house. This was built after the house became a historic landmark. It was designed so that you can't see it from the front of the building. This helps keep the old look of the house.
History of the Italian Center
The house first appeared on a city map in 1857. Back then, it was an L-shaped building. This neighborhood was a very popular place to live in Poughkeepsie at that time.
Changes Over Time
About 30 years later, another map showed that an east wing had been added to the house. By 1891, the porch and tower that you see today were also part of the building.
The Italian Center Organization
In 1928, five different local groups that helped the Italian American community in Poughkeepsie decided to join together. They formed the Italian Center organization. That same year, they bought this house and made it their home. In the 1960s, they built the new part at the back of the house. This addition allowed them to host bigger events and activities. Since then, the house has not changed much.
