Potter House (Rock Island, Illinois) facts for kids
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Potter House
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1906 7th Ave. Rock Island, Illinois |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1907 |
| Architect | George Stauduhar |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 89000364 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | May 5, 1989 |
The Potter House is an old and important building in Rock Island, Illinois, USA. It became a special Rock Island Landmark in 1987. Later, in 1989, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places all by itself. This means it's a really important historical place for the whole country! In 1998, it also became part of the Broadway Historic District.
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About Minnie Potter
This house was built by Minnie Potter in 1907. She was a very strong and smart woman. Minnie was the president of the J.W. Potter Company. This company owned the Rock Island Argus newspaper.
Minnie's husband had bought the newspaper in 1882. Back then, it only had 500 readers! Sadly, he passed away in 1898 when he was only 36 years old. Minnie was 32 at the time. She also had three young children to care for.
Even with young kids, Minnie took charge of the newspaper. She helped it grow and become very successful. She never got married again. In 1925, she even oversaw the building of a new newspaper office. Minnie lived in this house until she died. The Potter family owned the house until 1983. They sold the newspaper a few years later, in 1985.
House Design and Style
The Potter House was designed by a local architect named George Stauduhar. He used a style called Colonial Revival. This style often looks like older American colonial homes.
The house also has some parts that look like the Prairie School style. This style was popular in the Midwest.
Colonial Revival Features
You can see the Colonial Revival style in the front of the house, called the façade. It looks very balanced and even on both sides. The front door has tall, narrow windows next to it, called sidelights. Above the door, there's a curved window with a fan shape, known as a fanlight. Many of the windows also have small square panes of glass in their top sections.
Prairie School Touches
Some windows show the Prairie style. These windows have a larger bottom section with one big pane of glass. The smaller top section sits above it. The outside of the house is covered in stucco. The bottom part of the walls has a rough texture. The top part is much smoother.
Inside the House
Inside the Potter House, you'll find some amazing details. The front entrance has special wall coverings that look like embossed leather. There's a big, grand staircase in the middle of the house. You can also see beautiful mahogany wood panels and colorful stained glass. The house even has six fireplaces!
