Property Record
408 S WASHINGTON ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | George C. Lewis House |
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| Other Name: | |
| Contributing: | Yes |
| Reference Number: | 7208 |
| Location (Address): | 408 S WASHINGTON ST |
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| County: | Jefferson |
| City: | Watertown |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
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| Year Built: | 1900 |
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| Additions: | C. 1920 |
| Survey Date: | 1986 |
| Historic Use: | house |
| Architectural Style: | Colonial Revival/Georgian Revival |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Clapboard |
| Architect: | CLAUDE AND STARCK |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | South Washington Street Historic District |
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| National Register Listing Date: | 11/26/2003 |
| State Register Listing Date: | 7/18/2003 |
| National Register Multiple Property Name: |
| Additional Information: | A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office. This house was built for George C. Lewis, the president of the G.B. Lewis Company. It was the family home between c. 1907 to at least 1930. The G.B. Lewis Company had been founded by George C's father and uncle, G.B. and Robert E. Lewis. It grew out of a sash and door factory. The company began specializing in beekeeping supplies and made quite a successful enterprise in the twentieth century. Later expanding into light-weight containers and finally, plastics, the Lewis Company still exists today as part of the Menasha Corporation. This house has some historical interest as the home of George C. Lewis, the second generation of the Lewis family to operate the highly successful Lewis Company. Built in the early 20th century for the Lewis family, this frame interpretation of the Georgian Revival, this hip-roofed house is a "Classic Box" featuring multiple pedimented roof dormers characterized by dentil trim, cornice returns, fluted applied pilasters and tracery in the arched windows and that are linked by a balustrade, cornice and fluted pilaster enframements on the center windows as well as an oriel window on the northside and a bay window on the lower story of the facade. Plain cornices on the remainder of the windows, a second story south side sun porch (now enclosed on the first story for a garage) and a one-story, open, balustraded porch extending across the facade with dentil trim and fluted Ionic columns also characterize this well-preserved home. Circa 1920 the front portion of the porch was cut away, providing access to a new attached garage. The Lewis house is significant under criterion C as an example of the Colonial Revival style. One of three good examples of the Colonial Revival built in the early 20th century, the Lewis house exhibits the "Classic Box" form, the full-width Neo-classic one-story porch, the multiple roof dormers, and bay windows associated with the colonial Revival of the early 20th century. Other significant examples of the style are the houses at 214 South Washington (55-6) and 907 Clyman St. (43-33). |
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| Bibliographic References: | (A) Watertown Daily Times 11/26/1994. (B) Watertown City Directories, 1866-1930, Watertown Public Library. (C) "G.B. Lewis Company as One of the World's Largest Manufacturers of Beeware," Watertown Daily Times Centennial Issue, June 26, 1954. 1895, 1901 Sanborn maps. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |