The John A. Wallace Residence at 1021 North Lawrence was designed and built by William Henry Sternberg in the mid-1880s. It was a brick residence with a limestone foundation and had a single-story heated carriage house finished with a small belvedere. The Wallace Residence had stylistic features consistent with other confirmed Sternberg designs including two-story bay windows, double multi-tiered decorative fountains flanking the front entryway, double front doors, decorative porches on the third floor, three main porches on the ground level, three highly corbelled chimney flues, and fancy milled gingerbread woodwork. The house had an ornate slate roof comprised of bands with varying tile shapes and different slate colors for each band. Sternberg used different colors of slate tiles for the roof of his own house at 1065 N. Waco Avenue. The sidewalks in the image appear to be paved with cement which was certainly available at that time. Portland cement had been around for about 50 years when the Wallace home was built.
Sternberg was promoting himself as both an “architect and builder” of homes, specifically “designing and drafting” services. He was a contractor, but designing and drafting services that he did himself were a substantial portion of his business. At Sternberg’s millwork factory in Norwich, New York, his designing and drafting business was co-located in the same building as the millwork factory. The multi-tiered fountains, stone carriage step, iron fence and dual decoratively carved stone hitching posts were a symbol of a fine address. Mr. John Wallace was a dealer/agent of agricultural implements for the Walter A. Wood Harvesting Machines business at that time.
Unfortunately, the Wallace home has been torn down to make way for commercial “development.” Any thoughts, comments, ideas, or additional information about this residence are welcomed and appreciated!
Posted by kendahlarama on 2010-05-14 17:58:21
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