361. Joseph R. Fletcher House (FY 974)
1124 W. Fourth Street
Contributing, ca. 1906
The Fletcher House is an unusual Colonial Revival dwelling which contributes visual variety to the streetscape. It is a two-story frame house with a weatherboarded first story and fishscale-cut wood shingle second story. The main body is a sedate rectangular block with wood shingled pedimented gables accented by Palladian windows. The facade, however, breaks with tradition with its steeply pitched and completely shingled cross gable whose sides slope downward to first story level. The off-center front porch features Tuscan columns and a plain balustrade. In recent years a one-story greenhouse was attached to the south side of the house, but it has not destroyed original details.
The house was built ca. 1906, when it was first listed in the city directory as the residence of Joseph R. Fletcher, an employee of Fletcher Brothers Clothing. He and his wife, Katherine, occupied the house until ca. 1920, when they moved across the street to 1123 W. Fourth Street (#370). The house changed ownership frequently thereafter and was used primarily as rental property until it was purchased by the present owner in 1979. (CD, TR, SM)
Garage, Noncontributing:Behind the house is a two-car cinderblock garage with a low shed roof which appears to have been built in recent years.