Morris House (Circleville, Ohio)
Encyclopedia
The Morris House is a historic house in Circleville
, Ohio
, United States
. Located on Union Street near the city's downtown, it is an ornate Gothic Revival
structure. A two-story
structure built of brick and sandstone
upon a stone foundation and covered with a slate
roof, it is divided into seven rooms.
The house was built in 1865 for the family of Samuel Morris, the president of the local Third National Bank. Morris chose many elaborate features for his house, such as decorative slates for the roof, multiple gable
s on the roofline, and elaborate bargeboard
s overhanging the ground. Inside, the house retains its original hardwood
floors and fireplace mantels. Two porch
es serve the main entrances to the house: the front porch was part of Morris' design, although the rear porch was built in the early twentieth century.
Both before and after the Morris family left the house in 1922, it was well maintained. Today, it is one of Circleville's best Gothic Revival houses. In recognition of its architectural significance, the Morris House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1979. Two other houses in the same block
, known as the William Marshall Anderson and Ansel T. Walling
Houses, are also listed on the Register.
Circleville, Ohio
Circleville is a city in and the county seat of Pickaway County, Ohio, United States, along the Scioto River. The population was 13,485 at the 2000 census.-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...
. Located on Union Street near the city's downtown, it is an ornate Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
structure. A two-story
Storey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
structure built of brick and sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
upon a stone foundation and covered with a slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
roof, it is divided into seven rooms.
The house was built in 1865 for the family of Samuel Morris, the president of the local Third National Bank. Morris chose many elaborate features for his house, such as decorative slates for the roof, 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 on the roofline, and elaborate bargeboard
Bargeboard
Bargeboard is a board fastened to the projecting gables of a roof to give them strength and to mask, hide and protect the otherwise exposed end of the horizontal timbers or purlins of the roof to which they were attached...
s overhanging the ground. Inside, the house retains its original hardwood
Hardwood
Hardwood is wood from angiosperm trees . It may also be used for those trees themselves: these are usually broad-leaved; in temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen.Hardwood contrasts with softwood...
floors and fireplace mantels. Two porch
Porch
A porch is external to the walls of the main building proper, but may be enclosed by screen, latticework, broad windows, or other light frame walls extending from the main structure.There are various styles of porches, all of which depend on the architectural tradition of its location...
es serve the main entrances to the house: the front porch was part of Morris' design, although the rear porch was built in the early twentieth century.
Both before and after the Morris family left the house in 1922, it was well maintained. Today, it is one of Circleville's best Gothic Revival houses. In recognition of its architectural significance, the Morris House was listed 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...
in 1979. Two other houses in the same block
City block
A city block, urban block or simply block is a central element of urban planning and urban design. A city block is the smallest area that is surrounded by streets. City blocks are the space for buildings within the street pattern of a city, they form the basic unit of a city's urban fabric...
, known as the William Marshall Anderson and Ansel T. Walling
Ansel T. Walling House
The Ansel T. Walling House is a historic house in Circleville, Ohio, United States. An Italianate structure that was built in 1869, it was the home of Ansel T. Walling, a state and federal legislator....
Houses, are also listed on the Register.