Potter House (Rock Island, Illinois)
Encyclopedia
Potter House is an historic building located in Rock Island, Illinois
, United States
. It was designated a Rock Island Landmark in 1987, listed individually on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1989, and became a part of the Broadway Historic District
on the national register in 1998.
newspaper. Her husband had bought the newspaper in 1882 when it had only 500 subscribers. He died at the age of 36 in 1898. Minnie was 32 at the time, and a mother of three young children. She took over the leadership of the paper and raised her family. She never remarried. The Argus prospered under her leadership and she directed the construction of a new newspaper plant on Fourth Avenue in 1925. Mrs. Potter had the home built in 1907 and lived there until her death, and the home remained in the family until 1983. The Potter family sold the newspaper in 1985.
in the Colonial Revival style. It also includes elements of the Prairie School
style. The Colonial Revival style is found in the front façade’s symmetry, door sidelights, with an elliptical fanlight above, and in the multiple panes of glass of the upper sashes on the windows. Many of the widows, however, are characteristic of the Prairie style. They have a larger sash with a single pane of glass and are topped with a smaller upper sash. The exterior of the house is covered in stucco. The texture on the lower half of the wall is rough, while the top is smoother. The interior features leather embossed wall coverings in the front entrance, a grand central staircase, mahogany
paneling, stained glass
and six fireplaces.
Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island is the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,884 at the 2010 census. Located on the Mississippi River, it is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Moline, East Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. The Quad Cities...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was designated a Rock Island Landmark in 1987, listed individually 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 1989, and became a part of the Broadway Historic District
Broadway Historic District (Rock Island, Illinois)
Broadway Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district and neighborhood in Rock Island, Illinois, U.S.A.. It is roughly bounded by 17th and 23rd street, 5th and 7th avenues, Lincoln Court, and 12th and 13th avenues...
on the national register in 1998.
Minnie Potter
The home was built by Minnie Potter who was the president of J.W. Potter Company, which owned the Rock Island ArgusThe Dispatch / The Rock Island Argus
The Dispatch / The Rock Island Argus are daily morning newspapers based in Moline, Illinois, and circulated throughout the Quad City metropolitan area of Moline, East Moline, Rock Island and Rock Island County in Illinois; and Davenport, Bettendorf and Scott County in Iowa.The newspapers are owned...
newspaper. Her husband had bought the newspaper in 1882 when it had only 500 subscribers. He died at the age of 36 in 1898. Minnie was 32 at the time, and a mother of three young children. She took over the leadership of the paper and raised her family. She never remarried. The Argus prospered under her leadership and she directed the construction of a new newspaper plant on Fourth Avenue in 1925. Mrs. Potter had the home built in 1907 and lived there until her death, and the home remained in the family until 1983. The Potter family sold the newspaper in 1985.
Architecture
The home was designed by Rock Island architect George StauduharStauduhar House
Stauduhar House is an historic building located in Rock Island, Illinois, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.-George P. Stauduhar:...
in the Colonial Revival style. It also includes elements of the Prairie School
Prairie School
Prairie School was a late 19th and early 20th century architectural style, most common to the Midwestern United States.The works of the Prairie School architects are usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in horizontal bands,...
style. The Colonial Revival style is found in the front façade’s symmetry, door sidelights, with an elliptical fanlight above, and in the multiple panes of glass of the upper sashes on the windows. Many of the widows, however, are characteristic of the Prairie style. They have a larger sash with a single pane of glass and are topped with a smaller upper sash. The exterior of the house is covered in stucco. The texture on the lower half of the wall is rough, while the top is smoother. The interior features leather embossed wall coverings in the front entrance, a grand central staircase, mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
paneling, stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
and six fireplaces.