William V. N. Barlow House
Encyclopedia
The William V. N. Barlow House is on South Clinton Street in Albion, New York, United States. It is a brick building erected in the 1870s in an eclectic mix of contemporary architectural style
s, including Second Empire, Italianate
, and Queen Anne. Its interior features highly intricate Eastlake style
woodwork
.
It was the home of a prominent local architect who designed many major buildings in Albion. In 1983 it and an accompanying barn, since converted into a garage, were added to the National Register of Historic Places
. It is one of two houses in Albion so designated (the other is the Greek Revival Tousley-Church House
).
NY 31
) and a block west of South Main Street (NY 98
). The terrain is generally level. The surrounding neighborhood is residential, with many late 19th and early 20th century houses that retain less integrity. To the north and west are industrial areas. A woodlot
separates the houses on Clinton from those on South Main to the east.
The building itself is a two-story brick structure on a Medina
sandstone
foundation
. On the west (front) facade
is a projecting pavilion with two-and-half-story tower. It is topped with a mansard roof
pierced by gable
d dormer windows. There are porches on the north and east sides.
On the north side the porch features turned posts and a decorative balustrade. The plainer east porch has wooden columns. Near it a gabled hood with scalloped
edges shelters the rear entrance.
A similar but more decorative porch shelters the main entrance at the base of the tower. It has a gabled hood with return projecting from a shed roof above an elliptical arch with keystone. Two turned wooden fluted
columns support the arch. From them project two brackets
with drop pendants, supporting the gable. The base has latticework and more turned columns supporting the porch deck.
Above the main entrance is another window similar to those on the projecting bays, then a steeply pitched
cross-gabled roof with a window in the west field. The dormer windows feature pediment
s with molded
circular and diamond motifs. On the south side the chimney is corbeled at the roofline.
Double walnut
doors lead to the interior, with much of its original Eastlake style
woodwork. Most prominent among this is the main staircase, also of walnut, with turned balusters. A large two-tone newel
has a niche for a gas light and intricate carvings in a floral pattern. The gas fireplace has a walnut frontispiece with more floral carvings, geometric forms and an intricate cast iron
grill. The inside of the front bay, in the living room, has louver
ed shutters
and decorative surrounds. That room, the central hall and stair hall all have vertical beadboard wainscoting. Walnut sliding doors separate the living and dining room.
In the rear of the house is one of the few remaining water well
s, with hand pump
, left in Albion. At the end of the driveway, near the rear of the property, is the former horse barn, now a garage, the other contributing resource
to the property's historic character. It is a one-and-a-half-story frame
gabled structure with exposed rafter
ends, sided in clapboard
with vertical flushboard between the two floors. Its front gable window has a pedimented hood with cut-out design, and the side windows have uneven panes.
, Barlow's parents moved the family west to the Monroe County
town of Sweden
. After apprenticing to a carpenter in Brockport
, he moved to Albion in 1833 and began his career as architect and builder. Over the next half-century, he designed some of the village's most significant buildings, such as the Swan Library and the county courthouse
, earning the nickname "High-Rickety" for the many cupola
s on them. He also the chapel and entry archway to Mt. Albion Cemetery
outside the village, also listed on the National Register. The significant buildings in Albion that he did not design, he built.
His own house was built in the later phase of his career, around 1875. His earlier works had been solidly within their stylistic traditions, in contrast to the eclecticism demonstrated by the house. It has touches from three common styles of the time: an engaged square Italianate
tower, a Second Empire mansard roof and a Queen Anne Style
projecting polygonal bay. The exterior and, especially, the interior, reflect a love of surface decoration
as espoused in the works of Charles Eastlake
.
The house has remained a private home since his death in 1909. At some point in the ensuing years the wood cresting and finial
s were removed from the roof and dormers. The original walnut doors between most of the rooms on the first floor were replaced with French doors in the 1920s. Five decades later, in 1975, the woodshed was converted into a family room using materials similar to the original house. The only other change to the property has been the replacement of wood with cement on the garage floor.
Architectural style
Architectural styles classify architecture in terms of the use of form, techniques, materials, time period, region and other stylistic influences. It overlaps with, and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of architecture...
s, including Second Empire, Italianate
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
, and Queen Anne. Its interior features highly intricate Eastlake style
Eastlake Movement
The Eastlake Movement was a nineteenth century architectural and household design reform movement started by architect and writer Charles Eastlake . The movement is generally considered part of the late Victorian period in terms of broad antique furniture designations...
woodwork
Woodworking
Woodworking is the process of building, making or carving something using wood.-History:Along with stone, mud, and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked by early humans. Microwear analysis of the Mousterian stone tools used by the Neanderthals show that many were used to work wood...
.
It was the home of a prominent local architect who designed many major buildings in Albion. In 1983 it and an accompanying barn, since converted into a garage, were added to 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...
. It is one of two houses in Albion so designated (the other is the Greek Revival Tousley-Church House
Tousley-Church House
The Tousley-Church House is located on North Main Street in Albion, New York, United States. It is a brick house in the Greek Revival architectural style built in two different stages in the mid-19th century....
).
Buildings and grounds
The house is located on a one-acre (4,000 m²) lot on the east side of South Clinton Street, one block south of West Avenue (state highwayState highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
NY 31
New York State Route 31
New York State Route 31 is a state highway that extends for across western and central New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 104 in the city of Niagara Falls. Its eastern terminus is at a traffic circle with NY 26 in Vernon...
) and a block west of South Main Street (NY 98
New York State Route 98
New York State Route 98 is a state highway in the western part of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with U.S. Route 219 in the town of Great Valley in Cattaraugus County...
). The terrain is generally level. The surrounding neighborhood is residential, with many late 19th and early 20th century houses that retain less integrity. To the north and west are industrial areas. A woodlot
Woodlot
A woodlot is a term used in North America to refer to a segment of a woodland or forest capable of small-scale production of forest products such as wood fuel, sap for maple syrup, sawlogs, as well as recreational uses like bird watching, bushwalking, and wildflower appreciation...
separates the houses on Clinton from those on South Main to the east.
The building itself is a two-story brick structure on a Medina
Medina, New York
Medina is a village in the towns of Shelby and Ridgeway in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 6,415 at the 2000 census, making it the second most populous municipality in the county after Albion, the county seat. The village was named by its surveyor...
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,...
foundation
Foundation (architecture)
A foundation is the lowest and supporting layer of a structure. Foundations are generally divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.-Shallow foundations:...
. On the west (front) facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
is a projecting pavilion with two-and-half-story tower. It is topped with a mansard roof
Mansard 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 at a steeper angle than the upper that is punctured by dormer windows. The roof creates an additional floor of habitable space, such as a garret...
pierced by 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...
d dormer windows. There are porches on the north and east sides.
On the north side the porch features turned posts and a decorative balustrade. The plainer east porch has wooden columns. Near it a gabled hood with scalloped
Scalloping
Scalloping may refer to:*Scallop gathering *Scalloping , an ornament made of indentations/grooves resembling the shell of a scallop.*Scalloping , shaping of fingerboards*Gratin, a casserole cooking technique...
edges shelters the rear entrance.
A similar but more decorative porch shelters the main entrance at the base of the tower. It has a gabled hood with return projecting from a shed roof above an elliptical arch with keystone. Two turned wooden fluted
Fluting (architecture)
Fluting in architecture refers to the shallow grooves running vertically along a surface.It typically refers to the grooves running on a column shaft or a pilaster, but need not necessarily be restricted to those two applications...
columns support the arch. From them project two brackets
Bracket (architecture)
A bracket is an architectural member made of wood, stone, or metal that overhangs a wall to support or carry weight. It may also support a statue, the spring of an arch, a beam, or a shelf. Brackets are often in the form of scrolls, and can be carved, cast, or molded. They can be entirely...
with drop pendants, supporting the gable. The base has latticework and more turned columns supporting the porch deck.
Above the main entrance is another window similar to those on the projecting bays, then a steeply pitched
Roof pitch
In building construction, roof pitch is a numerical measure of the steepness of a roof, and a pitched roof is a roof that is steep.The roof's pitch is the measured vertical rise divided by the measured horizontal span, the same thing as what is called "slope" in geometry. Roof pitch is typically...
cross-gabled roof with a window in the west field. The dormer windows feature pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
s with molded
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
circular and diamond motifs. On the south side the chimney is corbeled at the roofline.
Double walnut
Walnut
Juglans is a plant genus of the family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are known as walnuts. They are deciduous trees, 10–40 meters tall , with pinnate leaves 200–900 millimetres long , with 5–25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnuts , but not the hickories...
doors lead to the interior, with much of its original Eastlake style
Eastlake Movement
The Eastlake Movement was a nineteenth century architectural and household design reform movement started by architect and writer Charles Eastlake . The movement is generally considered part of the late Victorian period in terms of broad antique furniture designations...
woodwork. Most prominent among this is the main staircase, also of walnut, with turned balusters. A large two-tone newel
Newel
A newel, also called a central pole, is an upright post that supports the handrail of a stair banister. In stairs having straight flights it is the principal post at the foot of the staircase, but it can also be used for the intermediate posts on landings and at the top of a staircase...
has a niche for a gas light and intricate carvings in a floral pattern. The gas fireplace has a walnut frontispiece with more floral carvings, geometric forms and an intricate cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
grill. The inside of the front bay, in the living room, has louver
Louver
A louver or louvre , from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise...
ed shutters
Window shutter
A window shutter is a solid and stable window covering usually consisting of a frame of vertical stiles and horizontal rails...
and decorative surrounds. That room, the central hall and stair hall all have vertical beadboard wainscoting. Walnut sliding doors separate the living and dining room.
In the rear of the house is one of the few remaining water well
Water well
A water well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, boring or drilling to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The well water is drawn by an electric submersible pump, a trash pump, a vertical turbine pump, a handpump or a mechanical pump...
s, with hand pump
Hand pump
Hand pumps are manually operated pumps; they use human power and mechanical advantage to move fluids or air from one place to another. They are widely used in every country in the world for a variety of industrial, marine, irrigation and leisure activities...
, left in Albion. At the end of the driveway, near the rear of the property, is the former horse barn, now a garage, the other contributing resource
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
to the property's historic character. It is a one-and-a-half-story frame
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
gabled structure with exposed rafter
Rafter
A rafter is one of a series of sloped structural members , that extend from the ridge or hip to the downslope perimeter or eave, designed to support the roof deck and its associated loads.-Design:...
ends, sided in clapboard
Clapboard (architecture)
Clapboard, also known as bevel siding or lap siding or weather-board , is a board used typically for exterior horizontal siding that has one edge thicker than the other and where the board above laps over the one below...
with vertical flushboard between the two floors. Its front gable window has a pedimented hood with cut-out design, and the side windows have uneven panes.
History
Shortly after his 1810 birth in Madison CountyMadison County, New York
Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 73,442. It is named after James Madison, fourth President of the United States of America...
, Barlow's parents moved the family west to the Monroe County
Monroe County, New York
Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 744,344. It is named after James Monroe, fifth President of the United States of America. Its county seat is the city of Rochester....
town of Sweden
Sweden, New York
Sweden is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States. The town is located on the west border of the county. The Erie Canal passes through the northern part of the town and Route 19 is a major north-south highway. The population was 14,175 at the 2010 census.- History :This town was part of...
. After apprenticing to a carpenter in Brockport
Brockport, New York
Brockport is a village located in the Town of Sweden in Monroe County, New York, USA. The population was 8,103 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from Hiel Brockway, an early settler....
, he moved to Albion in 1833 and began his career as architect and builder. Over the next half-century, he designed some of the village's most significant buildings, such as the Swan Library and the county courthouse
Orleans County Courthouse Historic District
The Orleans County Courthouse Historic District is one of two located in downtown Albion, New York, United States. Centered around Courthouse Square, it includes many significant buildings in the village, such as its library, post office and churches from seven different denominations, one of which...
, earning the nickname "High-Rickety" for the many cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
s on them. He also the chapel and entry archway to Mt. Albion Cemetery
Mt. Albion Cemetery
Mount Albion Cemetery is located on New York State Route 31 in the Town of Albion, New York, United States, east of the village of Albion, which owns and operates it. It is a rural cemetery established in the 1840s on a glacial drumlin....
outside the village, also listed on the National Register. The significant buildings in Albion that he did not design, he built.
His own house was built in the later phase of his career, around 1875. His earlier works had been solidly within their stylistic traditions, in contrast to the eclecticism demonstrated by the house. It has touches from three common styles of the time: an engaged square Italianate
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
tower, a Second Empire mansard roof and a Queen Anne Style
Queen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
projecting polygonal bay. The exterior and, especially, the interior, reflect a love of surface decoration
Ornament (architecture)
In architecture and decorative art, ornament is a decoration used to embellish parts of a building or object. Large figurative elements such as monumental sculpture and their equivalents in decorative art are excluded from the term; most ornament does not include human figures, and if present they...
as espoused in the works of Charles Eastlake
Charles Eastlake
Charles Locke Eastlake was a British architect and furniture designer. Trained by the architect Philip Hardwick , he popularised William Morris's notions of decorative arts in the Arts and Crafts style, becoming one of the principal exponents of the revived Early English or Modern Gothic style...
.
The house has remained a private home since his death in 1909. At some point in the ensuing years the wood cresting and finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
s were removed from the roof and dormers. The original walnut doors between most of the rooms on the first floor were replaced with French doors in the 1920s. Five decades later, in 1975, the woodshed was converted into a family room using materials similar to the original house. The only other change to the property has been the replacement of wood with cement on the garage floor.