William and Mary Danforth House
This house has a fanciful tale in its history. The story is that in 1882, Cynthia, Jacob Beans wife, became so impatient with Jacob for not building her a house, that she built this whimsical miniature as a spoof on the Second Empire Style residences built by her husbands pretentious competitors. The tax assessor was apparently impressed, because in 1883, he assigned the relatively high value of $1,350 to the house and lot._x000D_ _x000D_ Alas, there are a few facts which cast doubt on this colorful Nineteenth Century story. Jacob Bean, a prosperous lumberman, built a large house in 1874, valued at $2,500, on the northeast corner of Third and St. Louis Streets where he--and presumably Cynthia--were very comfortably ensconced in 1882. (Today this corner is the site of a newer house at 1229 Third Avenue South.)_x000D_ _x000D_ However, it is true that 1224 Third Avenue south, and the house next door at 1230 Third Avenue South were built by Jacob Bean, so his wife may have had a hand in the design. However the following year, the "playhouse" as it came to be called, was sold to William and Mary Danforth who lived there for over a decade. The agreement was that Danforth would pay Jacob $2,400 in installments, as well as maintain fire insurance on the house in the amount of $1,500._x000D_ _x000D_ William Danforth was born in Maine about 1844; his wife, Mary, was born in Ohio about 1852. The 1880 U. S. Census lists the couple living in Stillwater, along with a boarder, Arthur Bean, age 29, a lumberman. (There was almost certainly some connection between the Danforth and Bean families.)_x000D_ _x000D_ About 1894, William and Mary Danforth moved to San Jose, California, where they were eventually joined by the Jacob Bean family._x000D_ _x000D_ Over the years, this small house, unique in Stillwater, fell on hard times, and lost much of its original charm. But about a decade ago, new owners began the slow process of restoration, and today the house is again a showpiece. _x000D_ _x000D_ The mansard roof is the most prominent sign of a French Second Empire Style home, along with the dormers with their overhanging pediments, the two-pane-over-two-panes windows, and the overhanging eaves all add to the stylishness of this "playhouse."_x000D_ _x000D_ In 2004, the house was declared eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places because of its architectural significance.
William and Mary Danforth House
This house has a fanciful tale in its history. The story is that in 1882, Cynthia, Jacob Beans wife, became so impatient with Jacob for not building her a house, that she built this whimsical miniature as a spoof on the Second Empire Style residences built by her husbands pretentious competitors. The tax assessor was apparently impressed, because in 1883, he assigned the relatively high value of $1,350 to the house and lot._x000D_ _x000D_ Alas, there are a few facts which cast doubt on this colorful Nineteenth Century story. Jacob Bean, a prosperous lumberman, built a large house in 1874, valued at $2,500, on the northeast corner of Third and St. Louis Streets where he--and presumably Cynthia--were very comfortably ensconced in 1882. (Today this corner is the site of a newer house at 1229 Third Avenue South.)_x000D_ _x000D_ However, it is true that 1224 Third Avenue south, and the house next door at 1230 Third Avenue South were built by Jacob Bean, so his wife may have had a hand in the design. However the following year, the "playhouse" as it came to be called, was sold to William and Mary Danforth who lived there for over a decade. The agreement was that Danforth would pay Jacob $2,400 in installments, as well as maintain fire insurance on the house in the amount of $1,500._x000D_ _x000D_ William Danforth was born in Maine about 1844; his wife, Mary, was born in Ohio about 1852. The 1880 U. S. Census lists the couple living in Stillwater, along with a boarder, Arthur Bean, age 29, a lumberman. (There was almost certainly some connection between the Danforth and Bean families.)_x000D_ _x000D_ About 1894, William and Mary Danforth moved to San Jose, California, where they were eventually joined by the Jacob Bean family._x000D_ _x000D_ Over the years, this small house, unique in Stillwater, fell on hard times, and lost much of its original charm. But about a decade ago, new owners began the slow process of restoration, and today the house is again a showpiece. _x000D_ _x000D_ The mansard roof is the most prominent sign of a French Second Empire Style home, along with the dormers with their overhanging pediments, the two-pane-over-two-panes windows, and the overhanging eaves all add to the stylishness of this "playhouse."_x000D_ _x000D_ In 2004, the house was declared eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places because of its architectural significance.
Posted Date
Sep 27, 2021
Source Name
Heirloom Homes and Landmark
