W. Joseph Fuller House facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
W. Joseph Fuller House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in Iowa Show map of Iowa Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	1001 Mulberry Ave. Muscatine, Iowa
Area	less than one acre
Built	1878
Architectural style	Vernacular Italianate
NRHP reference No.	82000416
Added to NRHP	December 10, 1982

The W. Joseph Fuller House is an old and interesting home located in Muscatine, Iowa, United States. It's a special building because it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as an important part of the history of the United States. This house was built a long time ago, in 1878.

The Fuller Family Story

Long ago, in 1837, four brothers from Germany named Fuller came to live in Muscatine, Iowa. One of them, Henry Fuller, was a brick maker. His sons, Joseph and Anthony, learned the family business and became brick makers too.

In 1877, Joseph Fuller bought the land where this house now stands. He had the house built the very next year, in 1878. Joseph lived in this house until at least 1892. Old city records from that time also show that his pottery making business was located right here at his home!

Cool House Style: Italianate

The W. Joseph Fuller House is built in a style called vernacular Italianate. Vernacular means it's a local, simpler version of the popular Italianate style. The Italianate style was inspired by old Italian farmhouses and villas.

This house is similar in size and age to other homes nearby. However, its brick outside makes it stand out from the wooden houses around it. The bricks are a soft color and are painted. The house has a hipped roof, which means all sides slope downwards to the walls.

Look closely, and you'll see large, round-arched windows. These arches are made of brick with special stone pieces called keystones at the very top. Big decorative brackets with hanging pieces (called pendants) are placed along the cornice. The cornice is the fancy molding that runs along the top of the walls, just under the roof line of this two-story house.