Property Record
1024 CASS ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | James Vincent House |
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| Other Name: | |
| Contributing: | Yes |
| Reference Number: | 28725 |
| Location (Address): | 1024 CASS ST |
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| County: | La Crosse |
| City: | La Crosse |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
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| Year Built: | 1884 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 1996 |
| Historic Use: | house |
| Architectural Style: | Italianate |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Brick |
| Architect: | W.L. Carroll/Wm. Parker |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Vincent, James, House |
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| National Register Listing Date: | 10/20/1988 |
| State Register Listing Date: | 1/1/1989 |
| 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. Limestone arches and lintels contrasting with the red brick suggestive of the polychromatic Victorian Gothic style combine with features of the Queen Anne style and with cast iron, wood, and terra cotta tile decorations to create the exceptional exterior of the Vincent House. Features include: Cornice returns and dentil trim in cross gable and east side two-story projecting rectangular gable roofed bay with decked three-sided bay window which has iron railing; "rising sun" design in tympanum of front cross gable; dentil trim and brackets under the broad eaves; straight flat stone window lintels on upper story and stone segmental arched flat window heads with incised floral design linked by stone belt course on lower story; long narrow windows; screened porch with dentil trim under the eaves in east angle of house; one-bay flat roofed open entrance porch with dentil trim, balustrated railing and Ionic columns on wooden bases supports; arched double leafed entrance door; chimney crown; elevated stone foundation. Built in 1884, from La Crosse and on a raised foundation of limetsone quarried from Grandad's Bluff. The Vincent house has been unaltered since it was built by one of the City's first large houses and as the best example of residential architecture exhibiting the Victorian Gothic influence in La Crosse. The Vincent House has the earliest confirmed use of hot-air central heating in La Crosse. Although the heating system was changed to hot water about 1910, the ornate brass floor vents remain. This house also contains the earliest confirmed instance of complete indoor plumbing for water closet, bathtub, and sink. James Vincent was an early settler in La Crosse, arriving in 1855, a year before it became an official city. He owned a lumber yard and was very influential in the business community. Original plans drawn by W.L. Carroll were modified by the local architect William Parker. 2015- "The James Vincent House is an exceptional blend of Late Victorian residential styles with an essentially unaltered exterior. The basic stylistic palette of the two-story brick cross-gabled cruciform mass is Italianate; with tall narrow windows, bracketed eaves and classically ornamented open-entry porch. In addition, two prominent bay windows with decorative iron balustrade add to the distinctive appearance. The polychromatic exterior, with red brick walls and contrasting cut limestone border, and decorative chimney crown reflect an early Queen Anne influence. The interior features a mix of high quality woodwork crafted by the noted local firms of Egid Hackner and Selgelke-Kohlhaus. The original plans for the house were drawn by Chicago-based architect W.L. Carroll in 1879 and modified in 1884 by local architect William Parker. Parker was a significant La Crosse architect who designed several important public and commercial buildings in downtown La Crosse. Pioneer settler and businessman James Vincent was born in New York, trained as a carpenter and followed the Gold Rush to California in 1848. He arrived in La Crosse in 1855 and subsequently became successful in the lumber and grain business. The James Vincent House was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. Vincent's descendants occupied the house until 2006. An extensive restoration of the interior was completed in recent years by the current owners." -"La Crosse, Wisconsin: 10th & Cass Residential Historic District Tour", Prepared by Eric J. Wheeler, (2015). |
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| Bibliographic References: | (A) Dr. L. Crocker, "A Preliminary List of Buildings in the City of La Crosse with Significant Architectural Value," 1977. (B) La Crosse City Directory, 1884-1885. (C) Sanborn-Perris Map, 1906. (D) Blueprint of Vincent House, A.R.C. Murphy Library, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. LACROSSE TRIBUNE 8/6/1995. A. La Crosse Chronicle, 28 May 1884, 3 September 1884, 23 January 1885, 20 September 1885. Crocker, Leslie. La Crosse Buildings through Time. La Crosse: La Crosse Public Library Archives Department, 2015. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |