Benjamin Nighswander House

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Benjamin Nighswander House
Benjamin Nighswander House.JPG
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Location 1011 Kirkwood Blvd.
Davenport, Iowa
Coordinates 41°32′9″N90°33′39″W / 41.53583°N 90.56083°W / 41.53583; -90.56083 Coordinates: 41°32′9″N90°33′39″W / 41.53583°N 90.56083°W / 41.53583; -90.56083
Area less than one acre
Built 1896
Built by Benjamin Nighswander
Architectural style Queen Anne
MPS Davenport MRA
NRHP reference # 84001487 [1]
Added to NRHP July 27, 1984

The Benjamin Nighswander House is a historic building located on the east side of Davenport, Iowa, United States. The Queen Anne residence has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1984. [1]

Davenport, Iowa City in Iowa, United States

Davenport is the county seat of Scott County in Iowa and is located along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state. It is the largest of the Quad Cities, a metropolitan area with a population estimate of 382,630 and a CSA population of 474,226; it is the 90th largest CSA in the nation. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine Le Claire and was named for his friend George Davenport, a former English sailor who served in the U.S. Army during the War of 1812, served as a supplier Fort Armstrong, worked as a fur trader with the American Fur Company, and was appointed a quartermaster with the rank of colonel during the Black Hawk War. According to the 2010 census, the city had a population of 99,685. The city appealed this figure, arguing that the Census Bureau missed a section of residents, and that its total population was more than 100,000. The Census Bureau estimated Davenport's 2011 population to be 100,802.

National Register of Historic Places federal list of historic sites in the United States

The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance. A property listed in the National Register, or located within a National Register Historic District, may qualify for tax incentives derived from the total value of expenses incurred preserving the property.

Contents

History

Benjamin Nighswander was a contractor and builder who built this house between 1895 and 1896. Nighswander himself lived across the alley from this house while it was being built. William Bryson occupied the house in 1898 and it suggests that Nighswander built it on speculation and not as his own use. [2]

Architecture

There are a few picturesque touches found on this house that distinguish it from the other houses in the neighborhood. [2] The house is a frame structure that follows an L-plan with a front porch. The fanciful roofscape features a sweeping curve that extends over the porch. A small polygonal turret enhances the picturesque effect. Other noteworthy details include the gable-end shingling, the narrow, denticular belt coursing, and the second-floor window whose framing gives it a circular appearance.

Gable Generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches

A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesthetic concerns. A gable wall or gable end more commonly refers to the entire wall, including the gable and the wall below it.

Belt course

A belt course, also called a string course or sill course, is a continuous row or layer of stones or brick set in a wall. Set in line with window sills, it helps to make the horizontal line of the sills visually more prominent. Set between the floors of a house, it helps to make the separate floors distinguishable from the exterior of the building.

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References

  1. 1 2 National Park Service (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service.
  2. 1 2 Martha Bowers; Marlys Svendsen-Roesler. "Benjamin Nighswander House". National Park Service . Retrieved 2015-03-05. with photo