Lewis Shaw Coleman House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Lewis Shaw Coleman House
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 Location in Missouri
Location in the United States
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| Location | 227 E. College Street, Aurora, Missouri |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1914, c. 1927, c. 1955 |
| Architectural style | Bungalow/Craftsman |
| NRHP reference No. | 16000727 |
| Added to NRHP | October 17, 2016 |
The Lewis Shaw Coleman House is a special old house located at 227 East College Street in Aurora, Lawrence County, Missouri. It was built in 1914 and is known for its unique style.
Contents
Discovering the Coleman House
The Lewis Shaw Coleman House was built in 1914. It is the very first private home in Lawrence County to be added to the National Register of Historic Places. This important list recognizes places that are special because of their history or design. The house was added in 2016 because of its amazing architecture.
What Does It Look Like?
This house has two stories and is shaped like a "U". It's built in a style called American Craftsman and is also known as an "airplane" bungalow. The bottom part of the house is made of brick and sits on a strong limestone foundation.
You can see the wooden beams under the roof, which are called exposed rafters. The roofs are gently sloped with wide edges. The house also has a big front porch with stone columns that get narrower at the top. On the property, there's also an old carriage house from around 1927 and a garage from about 1955.
The People Behind the House
Lewis Shaw Coleman and his wife, Mary Kate Miller Coleman, built this house in 1914. They came from two very important families in Lawrence County. Their home was built on a corner lot that looked out over Oak Park in Aurora.
Aurora's Early Days
Aurora was started in 1870. It grew super fast after a mining boom in 1885. By 1890, over 3,400 people lived there! The population reached its highest point in 1900 with 6,191 residents. Even when mining slowed down, Aurora still had many businesses. These included banks, flour mills, a shoe factory, and lumber yards. Two of these lumber yards belonged to the Coleman and Miller families.
Important Families: Coleman and Miller
McCord Lafayette (M.L.) Coleman, born in 1859, was a big business leader in Aurora. He owned six lumber yards and other businesses. He also started a large milling company and was the president of a local bank. M.L. Coleman was also successful in mining and owned a big apple orchard. Lewis Shaw Coleman was his only son.
Thomas Alexander (T.A.) Miller, born in 1858, was another important businessman in Aurora. He owned many lumber yards and sawmills. He also helped build several important buildings, including the courthouse in Mount Vernon. The town of Miller is even named after him! Mary Kate Miller was his oldest daughter.
Building a Dream Home
In 1914, Lewis Shaw Coleman and Mary Kate Miller were married and had two young sons. They were a well-known couple in the community. A great building spot became available near the center of Aurora. A large Victorian house that was there had burned down. Lewis Shaw Coleman bought the empty land in 1913. He planned to build a "fine residence."
As the house was almost finished in 1914, a local newspaper called The Aurora Advertiser wrote about it. They said Lewis Coleman was finishing a "beautiful bungalow." They also said that such homes showed the "progressive spirit of the city." No one knows for sure who designed the house.
Changes Over Time
Sadly, the young Coleman family faced some difficult times. Their youngest son passed away at age five. A few years later, Mary Kate also passed away. Later, the family faced financial difficulties, and the house was sold.
In 1930, O.E. and Linda Moore bought the Coleman House. They lived there for over 50 years and raised their family in the home. O.E. Moore was a successful businessman who owned a large creamery. He also served as the president of the Aurora school board for many years.
Did you know that Don S. Davis, a famous actor from the TV show Stargate SG-1, is related to the Coleman family? He was born and grew up in Aurora, Missouri.
After the Colemans and Moores, three other families have owned the house. All of them have taken good care of this special home.
The Craftsman Architecture
The Coleman house is very different from the older Victorian homes nearby. Lewis and Mary Kate, who were in their 20s, chose the American Craftsman style. This style focuses on natural materials, clean lines, and showing off the strong structure of the house.
Craftsman Features
The Coleman house has many clear Craftsman features:
- You can see the wooden beams (rafters) under the wide roof edges.
- The roofs are gently sloped.
- There are decorative beams in the gables (the triangular parts of the wall under the roof).
- The house has large windows to help connect it with nature.
- A big front porch has stone columns that get narrower at the top. These match the stone foundation of the house.
- There are also two tall limestone chimneys at the back of the house.
The second floor of the house is smaller than the first floor. This is why it's called an "airplane" bungalow. It's covered in wood shake shingles. This house is a great example of Craftsman Airplane Bungalow architecture in the Southwest Missouri Ozarks.
The National Register of Historic Places
The Coleman House is now one of five places in Lawrence County listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The other listings include the Lawrence County Courthouse (Missouri), the Pierce City Fire Station, Courthouse and Jail, the Lawrence County Bank Building in Pierce City, Missouri, and an old archeological site. The Coleman House is the only home in the county on this list.
It's interesting to know that the T.A. Miller family was involved with two of these important buildings. T.A. Miller helped build the Lawrence County Courthouse. And his daughter, Mary Kate Miller, along with her husband Lewis, built the Coleman House!
Being on the NRHP means a place is officially recognized as important to American history. It helps people understand why historic buildings are special. Being on the list does not stop owners from using, selling, or taking care of their property. It simply celebrates its importance.
