Dr. Issac Elmer Williams House and Office
Encyclopedia
The Dr. Issac Elmer Williams House and Office are a pair of buildings in St. Marys
, Ohio
, United States
. Built in 1903, both are fine examples of the Queen Anne style of architecture
.
Immediately after graduating from the Kentucky School of Medicine at the University of Louisville
in 1892, Williams began to practice medicine
in St. Marys; he remained there until retirement in 1942. He built his house and office on the city's western side in 1903; their location adjacent to each other was a typical arrangement at the time for doctors in small cities such as St. Marys. These two buildings, both frame
, feature the Queen Anne style common in the early twentieth century. Among the leading architectural features of the house are its large roof with multiple gable
s, of which the most prominent are those of the attic that feature imbricated
shingles on their walls. Located to the south of the house, the office is a five-room single-story
structure. Its design is similar to that of the house, including an attic gable with imbricated shingles.
In 1979, the house and office were listed together on the National Register of Historic Places
. They qualified for inclusion on the Register both because of their contribution to local history and because of their architecture. As virtually no changes have been made either to the house or to the office — inside or out — they are excellent examples of early twentieth-century Queen Anne architecture, especially because of their location adjacent to each other. Moreover, these buildings are significant because of their place as a house-and-office combination of a typical early twentieth-century doctor.
St. Marys, Ohio
St. Marys is a city in Auglaize County, Ohio, United States. The population was 8,342 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Wapakoneta, Ohio, Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Built in 1903, both are fine examples of the Queen Anne style of architecture
Queen Anne Style architecture (United States)
In America, the Queen Anne style of architecture, furniture and decorative arts was popular in the United States from 1880 to 1910. In American usage "Queen Anne" is loosely used of a wide range of picturesque buildings with "free Renaissance" details rather than of a specific formulaic style in...
.
Immediately after graduating from the Kentucky School of Medicine at the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
in 1892, Williams began to practice medicine
Medical practice
A medical practice or practice of medicine is the practice of medicine, as performed by a medical practitioner—a physician...
in St. Marys; he remained there until retirement in 1942. He built his house and office on the city's western side in 1903; their location adjacent to each other was a typical arrangement at the time for doctors in small cities such as St. Marys. These two buildings, both frame
Framing (construction)
Framing, in construction known as light-frame construction, is a building technique based around structural members, usually called studs, which provide a stable frame to which interior and exterior wall coverings are attached, and covered by a roof comprising horizontal ceiling joists and sloping...
, feature the Queen Anne style common in the early twentieth century. Among the leading architectural features of the house are its large roof with multiple gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
s, of which the most prominent are those of the attic that feature imbricated
Imbricated
To imbricate means to overlap in a regular pattern.In petrology, the term "imbricated" is used in describing clastic sediments that are laid down with a preferential orientation of the composing grains. This is most often applied to conglomerates and gravels. It is generally related to paleoflow...
shingles on their walls. Located to the south of the house, the office is a five-room single-story
Storey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
structure. Its design is similar to that of the house, including an attic gable with imbricated shingles.
In 1979, the house and office were listed together on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. They qualified for inclusion on the Register both because of their contribution to local history and because of their architecture. As virtually no changes have been made either to the house or to the office — inside or out — they are excellent examples of early twentieth-century Queen Anne architecture, especially because of their location adjacent to each other. Moreover, these buildings are significant because of their place as a house-and-office combination of a typical early twentieth-century doctor.