Friday, January 10, 2014

The Asa Bushnell House, Springfield, OH

The Asa Bushnell House, Springfield, OH. 1870. Photo Wikimedia.
Next door to the Rinehart-Bowman House at 825 E High St. is the Asa Bowman house, or rather the first Asa Bowman house (the family moved across the street to a grander Richardsonian Romanesque mansion in 1888). Asa Bushnell was an important manufacturer and governor of Ohio. The house is simple in its features; it follows the irregular plan but it lacks the expected tower, a not uncommon variation. The bay window on the projecting pavilion and the plainness of the side facade are often found on these types of plans. Interesting features include the use of white stone trim in contrast to the brick facade, particularly the belt course on the projecting pavilion and the way that the second floor is framed by slightly projecting architectural elements. Also of interest is the semi-circular window in the gable and the small molding that serves as the architrave in the gable. The cornice has thick s curve brackets and small hood moldings over the windows while the main door is simple with Greek Revival style side lights. Unfortunately the house has been somewhat mangled. The original entry porch has been replaced, and the box window on the side seems to have had its windows shortened.


2 comments:

  1. Hi Josh. Any ideas about appropriate trim colors for red brick Italianate houses similar to the Bushnell house, so prevalent in the mid west, other than white. Thanks Jan

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    1. Honestly, I would say brown or grey with a red sash, partly because wooden pieces are often designed to pretend to be more expensive stone and the 19th century loved a red or black sash. That's probably the most historic answer. If you'd like to see my whole article on it take a look here: http://picturesqueitalianatearchitecture.blogspot.com/2013/06/painting-italianate-house.html Thanks for reading!

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