Property Record
250 GILLETT ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Michael & Julia Dougherty House |
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| Other Name: | |
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| Reference Number: | 53814 |
| Location (Address): | 250 GILLETT ST |
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| County: | Fond du Lac |
| City: | Fond du Lac |
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| Unincorporated Community: | |
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| Year Built: | 1880 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 2010 |
| Historic Use: | house |
| Architectural Style: | Italianate |
| Structural System: | Unknown |
| Wall Material: | Clapboard |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| Additional Information: | Photo code #2: 74FD-32/35. 1988: This two-story Italianate house has a hip roof, wide eaves with paired brackets, a paneled frieze, clapboard siding, and tall, narrow windows with four light sashes. The main entrance consists of a double wood and glass door covered with a front porch of hip roof, thin posts, and later added spool and spindle balustrade (modern). There is a fine carriage house at the rear of the property that features a paneled frieze and arched double door entry. The hip roof, bracketed eaves, and tall windows are all details associated with the style. This house also have a high level of integrity, with almost all of its historic details intact. 2010-2011 Intensive Survey Report Info: This two-story, Italianate style house is sheathed with clapboard and topped with a low-pitched, hipped roof. The wide overhanging eaves include paired, carved wooden bracket supports and shelter a paneled frieze. A full-width, one-story porch features square, carved wooden supports and a spindled balustrade and shelters a double-door entry with an above transom. Windows are rectangular examples and are set within a simple, wooden surround with a slightly raised peak and are largely regularly arranged. A two-story rectangular wing projects to the east, while a one-story bay window is located along the home's west elevation. The 1974 survey photo shows a replacement porch with simple square supports and no balustrade intact. Although the parcel (including both lots 18 & 20) was purchased in 1868, the house isn't believed to have been constructed until circa 1880 by Michael Dougherty. Dougherty was a shoemaker and, as of the 1880-1884 city directory, he is identified as residing along Gillett Street (whereas in 1875-76, he is not). Michael appears to have died between 1901 and 1903 and his widow Julia (also cited as Josie), who remained there as of 1905, disappears from the city directory as of 1907. The house was left to Rose Ann Dougherty, presumably a niece (as it does not appear that Michael and Julia had children) and, in 1907, she sold the house to Paul and Elizabeth Dana. They retained ownership for just four years, after which it was sold to Dr. James P. Connell and, in 1920, it was purchased by Soo Line conductor Earl S. Playman and his wife Jessie. The subject house is very similar (and compares favorably) to a number of other Italianate-style houses in the city (some of which are indeed located in the National Register-listed, East Division Street and Sheboygan Street Residential Historic District), as well as the house located at 213 E. 1st Street, for which a recommendation is also made in the 2010-2011 report. Indeed, this house is frame, whereas the E. 1st Street house is constructed of brick; however, both feature similar ornamental detailing such as the paired brackets, paneled frieze, as well as the overall form and arrangement of windows and bays; the only immediate difference is the full-width porch versus the single-bay porch of the house on E. 1st Street. |
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| Bibliographic References: | A. City Directories for the City of Fond du Lac, on file at the Fond du Lac Public Library, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. B. Sanborn-Perris Maps for the City of Fond du Lac, on file n the Archives of the State Historical of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin. C. Tax Rolls for the City of Fond du Lac, on file in the Area Reserach Center of the University of Wisconisn-Oshkosh Library, Oshkosh, Wisconsin. D. Carol Cartwright, City of Fond du Lac Intensive Survey Report, Fond du Lac: City of Fond du Lac, 1992. Warranty Deeds, On file at the Fond du Lac County Courthouse. See 2010-2011 Intensive Survey report for citations associated with 2010-2011 material below. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |