Property Record
606 S 9TH ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | George Fischer House |
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| Reference Number: | 74861 |
| Location (Address): | 606 S 9TH ST |
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| County: | Jefferson |
| City: | Watertown |
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| Year Built: | 1924 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 1986 |
| Historic Use: | house |
| Architectural Style: | Prairie School |
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| Wall Material: | Brick |
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| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
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| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| Additional Information: | This was the home of George M. Fischer during the 1920s, having probably been built for him around 1924. He was the secretary of the Fischer and Sons department store. Fischer and Sons was one of the larger retail businesses in Watertown, and still exists today. This house has some historical interest as the home of George M. Fischer, an executive of one of the largest retail establishments in Watertown during the 20th century. However, initial research indicates his career is not individually significant, therefore this house does not meet the eligibility criteria for the National Register. Built in 1924 for the prominent owners of the Fischer Department Store, the Fischer house is characterized by a low-pitched gabled roof, wide overhanging eaves and a flat roofed, partially screened porch with heavy paired brackets and massive square porch supports. A low gable roof dormer at the center of the roof with bargeboards and pointed window, a side-lighted entrance door and a two-story gable roofed wing on the south side are additional features of this horizontally accentuated design. The Fischer house is significant under criterion C as a vernacular example of the Prairie School house. One of only three houses in Watertown showing the early modern Prairie School influence, the Fischer house displays only the basic features of the style including the horizontal emphasis, the low-pitched roof and overhanging eaves and the long front porch supported by massive square brick supports, identifying it as a vernacular interpretation of the Prairie School. The other examples of the Prairie School influence in Watertown are the houses at 809 S. 9th St. (38-36) and 311 N. Montgomery (23-36). |
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| Bibliographic References: | (A) Watertown City Directories, 1866-1930, Watertown Public Library, Watertown, WI. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |