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231 ROOSEVELT AVE

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Property Record

231 ROOSEVELT AVE

Historic Name:
CHARLES H. PARKER HOUSE

Other Name:

Reference Number:
68202

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Property Location

Location (Address)

231 ROOSEVELT AVE

County

Rock

City/Village

Beloit

Township

Unincorporated community

Town

Range

Direction

Section

Quarter Section

Quarter Quarter Section

Property Features

Year Built

1856

Additions

Survey Date

1980

Historic Use

house

Architectural Style

Italianate

Structural System

Wall Material

Clapboard

Architect

Other Buildings On Site

Demolished

No

Demolished Date

Additional Comments

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. An architecturally significant example of the Italianate style in Beloit, the Charles Parker House is a classic of the type; a two story L-shaped structure (each wing almost square in proportion) with very wide eaves supported by paired scroll brackets, and a low pitched hip roof topped with a cupola. The regularly spaced windows, tall in proportion, are capped by pronounced segmental window heads with moldings. Wooden string courses at the frieze and cornice underscore the rectilinear nature of the composition. The cupola, with hip roof and broad eaves supported by brackets, has paired round headed windows. The house is sided with narrow clapboards. A screened porch shelters the first floor front facade. Situated on the bluff overlooking the Rock River, the house is both formal and exuberant, an appropriate expression of Beloit's optimism and confidence at mid-century. Architectural Significance: This dwelling is architecturally significant because it represents a type, period, or method of construction, and because it is a visual landmark in the area. Historical Statement: This Italianate house, built in 1858, was the residence of Charles H. Parker, a pioneer Beloit manufacturer. Parker's company, the Parker & Stone Reaper Company, was located on the Rock River and produced the Appleby Twine Binder in the 1870s, which Parker himself had perfected. Parker also was an original incorporator of the Beloit Water Company in 1885. (See Bib. Ref. B). This residence was, in 1860, one of the first houses to install gas lighting. (See Bib. Ref. C). The dwelling is historically significant because it is associated with the life of a significant person.

Bibliographic References

A. Beloit Tax Rolls, RCHS Archives. B. Beloit City Directory, 1858, p. 28. C. Rally Round Beloit, p. 11. D. Book of Beloit, p. 203. E. Historic Preservation Guidelines, City of Beloit, 1997.

National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings

National/State Register Listing Name

Bluff Street Historic District

National Register Listing Date

Jan 07, 1983

State Register Listing Date

Jan 01, 1989

Contributing

Yes

house Italianate

Rock
County

Beloit
Community

1850-1859
Decade

National and State Register Listing

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Architecture & History Inventory

The Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory (AHI) is a digital source of information on historic buildings, structures, and objects that have been surveyed by the State Historic Preservation Office in Wisconsin. Each property has a digital record providing basic information about the property and images.

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Review and Compliance Rehabilitation Tax Credits State Archaeologist State & National Registers of Historic Places Wisconsin Historic Preservation Database

Attribution

For a credit line: Wisconsin Historical Society, Creator, Title, Unique Identifier.

The Unique Identifier can be found at the top or bottom of the page for each item. The name of a downloaded file is NOT the unique identifier.

For bibliographic citations please consult the UW-Madison Libraries Citation Research Guide to ensure compliance with appropriate style guidelines.