Quincy House Tour

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1230 Park Place is a Front Gable house designed by John Batschy in the Queen Anne style. Front Gable Queen Anne houses often lack the picturesque quality associated with other forms that employ several roof levels and heights. However, through the use of different materials, this house exhibits several likenesses with the Queen Anne and Shingle styles.

The major theory behind the design of all Victorian buildings is the absence of flat-smooth wall surfaces. In this Victorian home, bricks and shingles are applied to the exterior in such a way that it takes a relatively flat wall. This is seen in the textured brick pattern that serves as a sort of belt course between the first and second floors.

To soften the hard corners of the front facade, molded bricks are placed on the corners. They make the corners appear to be rounded off. A cornice above the second floor windows divides the gable into a pediment, which contains a shingled bow that sets off the centered double hung windows. This is a characteristic element of shingle style architecture of the 1860s and 70s.

Looking at the alignment of the windows on this single front gabled home, one finds that they are aligned in a regular fashion. This is typical of late Queen Anne front gabled homes.

Perhaps the most characteristic feature of this home is the front entry. This entry is set off by very large stone lintels that sit on large masonry piers. These lintels are purposely oversized so to emphasize the structure needed to carry the weight of the corner of a brick house. This, again, is another design element popularized in late Queen Anne Home design and was an element in the design of Prairie and Craftsman style homes at the turn of the century. It appears as though this entry porch was formerly used as an open air porch that led to the main entry. However, at some point, the porch was filled in and the door was pushed out to the front of the house.