Frank J. Hecox House

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Frank J. Hecox House
HecoxHouseHowellMI.jpg
Location3720 W. Grand River, Howell, Michigan
Coordinates 42°37′43″N83°59′14″W / 42.62861°N 83.98722°W / 42.62861; -83.98722 (Frank J. Hecox House) Coordinates: 42°37′43″N83°59′14″W / 42.62861°N 83.98722°W / 42.62861; -83.98722 (Frank J. Hecox House)
Area1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built1887 (1887)
Architectural style Second Empire
NRHP reference # 94000745 [1]
Added to NRHPJuly 22, 1994

The Frank J. Hecox House, also known as the House of the Seven Gables, is a single-family home located at 3720 West Grand River Avenue near Howell, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. [1] It is a rare example of Second Empire architecture in the region. [2]

Howell, Michigan City in Michigan, United States

Howell is a city in the Metro Detroit region of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 9,489. It is the county seat of Livingston County and is mostly within Howell Township, but is politically independent from Howell Township. The city is part of the South Lyon-Howell-Brighton Urban Area.

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 in preserving the property.

Second Empire architecture in the United States and Canada

Second Empire, in the United States and Canada, is an architectural style most popular between 1865 and 1900. Second Empire architecture developed from the redevelopment of Paris under Napoleon III's Second Empire and looked to French Renaissance precedents. It was characterized by a mansard roof, elaborate ornament, and strong massing and was notably used for public buildings as well as commercial and residential design.

Contents

History

Very little is known of Frank J. Hecox and his wife Ada save that they were farmers. In 1886, the couple bought the 76-acre farm that this house is located on. It is likely that the farm at the time had a house located at the site of the present house. In 1887, Hecox constructed this new house. It is also unknown how long the Hecoxes live on the farm, although it is likely they remained until the latter part of the 1890s. Certainly by 1900 the farm was being rented, and in 1907 Ada Hecox, then living in San Jose, California, sold the farm. The farm remained a rental property until 1922, when it was purchased by Fred A. and Cora A. Smith. Fred and Cora Smith died in the 1950s, and the farm was passed to their family, eventually being sold in the early 1970s. [2]

San Jose, California City in California, United States

San Jose, officially the City of San José, is the economic, cultural and political center of Silicon Valley, and the largest city in Northern California. With an estimated 2017 population of 1,035,317, it is the third-most populous city in California and the tenth-most populous in United States. Located in the center of the Santa Clara Valley, on the southern shore of San Francisco Bay, San Jose covers an area of 179.97 square miles (466.1 km2). San Jose is the county seat of Santa Clara County, the most affluent county in California and one of the most affluent counties in the United States. San Jose is the main component of the San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara Metropolitan Statistical Area, with an estimated population of around 2 million residents in 2018. It is also the most populous city in both the San Francisco Bay Area and the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland Combined Statistical Area, which contain 7.7 million and 8.7 million people respectively.

The house was once again turned into a rental property, and was used by the Camelot Exploration Company, an oil company, as offices. In 1982 it was purchased and restored by a private owner. [2]

Description

The Frank J. Hecox House is a two-story brick Second Empire house on a raised basement. It has a metal-clad mansard roof with seven gables, one in the front and three on each side. The front elevation has paired arched Italianate windows below the steeply pitched gable. The double-door entry is sheltered by a wooden porch. Another porch is on the side. Windows are one-over-one double sash units with Italianate segmental arch tops and simple surrounds. An enclosed porch addition is at the rear. [2]

Mansard roof four-sided gambrel-style hip roof

A mansard or mansard roof is a four-sided gambrel-style hip roof characterized by two slopes on each of its sides with the lower slope, punctured by dormer windows, at a steeper angle than the upper. The steep roof with windows creates an additional floor of habitable space, and reduces the overall height of the roof for a given number of habitable stories. The upper slope of the roof may not be visible from street level when viewed from close proximity to the building.

On the interior, the first floor contains a front entrance hall, parlor, a large reception room, two bedrooms, a dining room, and the original kitchen with built-in cupboards. A cast iron corner fireplace is located in the parlor. A large open front stair and smaller enclosed rear stair lead to the upper floor. The upper floor contains two rear bedrooms, two front bedrooms, and a bath. A full brick basement is partitioned into several rooms. [2]

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References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. 2013-11-02.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Judith M. Burns (January 7, 1994), National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Frank J. Hecox House