The Curious Story of the Pattern Book House
By Nathan Hawkins
The house at 825 S. 5th St. has always been one of Farrington’s Grove’s real beauties. The elaborate second-floor balcony and the sunburst motif on the gable end are shining examples of Queen Anne architecture. A little research revealed that there is more to the house’s background than meets the eye. It is an example of a 19th-century “pattern book” house, an important chapter in the story of American architecture.
The pattern-book house emerged during the nineteenth century as a way to bring high-style architecture to the middle class. The trend began prior to the Civil War, as American architects published catalogs containing templates for grand staircases, exterior trim, or even entire houses. As Victorian-era Americans increasingly favored elaborate ornamentation, ready-made designs made the building process much quicker and cheaper for the average homeowner.
Grand Rapids architect D. S. Hopkins was one of the more prolific publishers of pattern books, starting in the 1880s. 825 S. 5th St. was born out of his Design No. 15, copyrighted in 1889. In the pattern book Houses and Cottages, Hopkins described No. 15 as having a “fine, proportioned exterior, and, at the same time, not expensive.” These qualities caught the eye of many a prospective home builder, and the pattern was quite popular in the 1880s and 1890s.
A Google search turned up a number of houses built from pattern No. 15 across the country. Below are examples of houses from Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, New Jersey, and West Virginia! Notice that despite the clear similarities, no two are exactly alike. Front porches and balconies exhibit different styles of trim, and the window bay locations are reversed in some cases. These variations can be attributed to the individual preferences of the owner, or perhaps the whims of the carpenters who built the house.
Google Street View images of other “No. 15” houses.
In these subtle differences lies a key understanding of the pattern book house: the patterns were never much more than an inspiration, and individuals were free to improvise upon the basic design. This quality sets them apart from the famous prefabricated “catalog homes” offered by companies like Sears.
FGHD’s Other “No. 15” House
In an interesting discovery, it turns out that 825 S. 5th St. had yet another sibling… in Farrington’s Grove! The photo on the right shows 1136 S. 6th St., built in the 1890s just a few blocks away. Notice that this house is a mirror image of 825 S. 5th, with the bay window on the left rather than the right. Unfortunately, this house was not quite so lucky. After only a few decades of existence, it disappeared by the 1950s, though it is unclear whether it burned down or was simply demolished. A stone ranch house stands on the site today.
Photo courtesy of Vigo County Public Library Special Collections