Quincy House Tour

1221

1221 Park Place is a good example of what many home owners did at the turn of the century to "modernize" an out-of-style house. This house was originally built in the Queen Anne style and, as can be seen in its vertical proportions, lack of symmetry, and irregular roof forms. However, this 1892 house was remodeled in 1910 and followed the ideas of the Prairie school. A large, horizontal porch was added, in an attempt to give the house a more symmetrical look. Much of the ornament was stripped off the house and replaced by austere linear forms that follow the modern trend at the time. The porch, now screened in, hides the irregularity of the house behind it and attempts to down-play the verticality of its proportions. In doing this, much of the quality of the Queen Anne style was lost. And, because of the contrast between the two styles, much of the Prairie School detailing was never fully realized, as well. The result is a mixture of two vastly different architectural ideas, awkwardly combined into one house. Many houses like this can be seen all over the United States and represent the American idea of home improvement.