Smith-Johnson House

Smith-Johnson House
Location 713 High Ave., E.
Oskaloosa, Iowa
Coordinates 41°17′44″N 92°38′13″W / 41.29556°N 92.63694°W / 41.29556; -92.63694Coordinates: 41°17′44″N 92°38′13″W / 41.29556°N 92.63694°W / 41.29556; -92.63694
Area less than one acre
Built 1853
Architectural style Vernacular
Part of Paradise Block Historic District (#91001767)
NRHP Reference # 77000538[1]
Added to NRHP November 9, 1977

The Smith-Johnson House, also known as The Old Brick, is a historic residence located in Oskaloosa, Iowa, United States. It was built for William T. Smith in 1853, the same year he was elected as the first mayor of Oskaloosa.[2] A lawyer, Smith was a native of Pennsylvania who settled in the town in 1848 and became county attorney the same year. In addition to his political and legal responsibilities he founded the first bank in town, and he was involved with other profitable financial ventures. He lived in the house until 1865 when Abijah Johnson, a Quaker merchant who moved to Oskaloosa to be a part of the flourishing Quaker communities here and in the surrounding areas. His son J. Kelly Johnson, an attorney who served in the Iowa Senate, took over the house after his father's death in 1894.

The house follows no particular architectural style, but is an unusual expression of vernacular architecture.[2] It is composed of three blocks of varying heights. The interior features four different floor levels, with steps that lead up or down among the first floor rooms. The house was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. It was included as a contributing property in the Paradise Block Historic District in 1991.[3]

References

  1. ↑ National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. 1 2 Jack and Betty Stanley. "Smith-Johnson House" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
  3. ↑ Molly Myers Naumann. "Paradise Block Historic District" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-04-27.


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