User:Kdombrowski2/sandbox

According the Matthew G. Hansen, the historian responsible for the application to the National Registry of Historic Place, the Frank M. Spalding House is a 2-story, Mission Style residence in Lincoln, Nebraska, that is listed with National Registry of Historic Places. The home is located on three lots fronting Sheridan Boulevard. The hip-roofed structure is constructed of quarry-faced Colorado red sandstone blocks, and features Missions-shaped, curved-parapet dormers, arched windows, open eaves with exposed rafter ends, and wide projecting porches supported by square piers. It was constructed in 1908-1910 as the first residence in the Sheridan Place addition.

Ferdinand Fiske, Architect

As discussed by Hansen, The architect of the Spalding House was locally renowned designer Ferdinand Comstock Fiske. Fiske arrived on the Lincoln architectural scene in 1887 from Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he had been practicing architecture since studying at Cornell University. Fiske received prominent commissions almost immediately and was chosen to design such structures as the Lincoln Sanitarium (1892), the Barr Terrace (NRHP 1979), and the David E. Thompson mansion (1893), which later became Nebraska's governor's mansion, during his first decade of work. During the course of his career in Lincoln, Fiske was engaged in a number of partnerships with other architects. Among those with whom he worked at one time or another were George W. Peters, Charles A. Dieman, Harry W. Meginnis, Edward G. Schaumberg, and Jesse Boaz Miller. Between partnerships, Fiske maintained his own architectural practice.

As Fiske's reputation as a quality designer grew, so did the number and significance of his commissions. He possessed an extraordinary ability to design in a wide variety of architectural styles, often simultaneously. For instance, while he was designing the Spalding House in Mission Style, Fiske was also working on the Shingle Style Ziemer House at 2030 Euclid Avenue (NRHP 1971). He also designed many significant residences in the Mount Emerald Historic District (NRHP 1980) of Lincoln and was the architect for the 1918-1919 remodeling of the Gillen House at 2245 ‘A’ Street (NRHP 1998). Though he excelled at residential design, Fiske's work in Lincoln was not limited to houses. He designed a number of buildings in Lincoln's Historic Haymarket (a 1982 locally designated, federally-certified historic district) including the Grainger Bros. Warehouse at 744 ‘O’ Street, the Stacy Bros. Warehouse at 800 ‘P’ Street, and the Apothecary Building at 801 ‘P’ Street. Fiske was the architect for Lincoln’s Municipal Lighting and Waterworks Plant at 2901 ‘A’ Street (NRHP 1986), Antelope Grocery at 2406 ‘J’ Street (NRHP 1987), the Jacobethan Revival Style Prescott School at 1930 South 20th Street (1922), and the Neo-Classical style Whittier Junior High School at 2240 vine tleet(1923). And he also designed the Little Building in downtown Lincoln at 113 North 11th Street (NRHP 1987) in 1908; a building which would be home to the Frank M. Spalding Lumber Company. The Mission Style house Fiske designed for Frank Spalding remains one of his finest architectural designs. It represents the work of a master architect, and illustrates his ability to produce stylistically significant structures.

Frank Merrill Spalding and ‘Sheridan Place”

The original owner of the house was Frank Merrill Spalding. Spalding first came to Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1899 along with his wife Julia, son Phineas, and daughters Charlotte, Harriett, and Mary. Prior to his arrival, he had been engaged in managing a number of lumberyards in Nebraska, Kansas, and Minnesota. Once in Lincoln, Spalding established the F.M. Spalding Lumber Company, based out of an office in the Little Building at 10th and ‘O’ Streets.

The Spaldings lived in at least two different homes prior to their decision to build on the newly developing Sheridan Place at the edge of Lincoln. In 1908-1909 the Woods Bros. and Boggs Real Estate company began work on a new development they called Sheridan Place. Following on their success with the previous developments of Franklin Heights and Elm Park, the Woods Bros. heavily promoted Sheridan Place through a number of newspaper advertisements. The new addition was platted in May of 1909 and annexed by the city of Lincoln shortly thereafter. An almost carnival-like atmosphere prevailed when the lots were sold in the evenings during the month of June under "a blaze of electricity" generated by thousands of lightbulbs strung up throughout the addition. Prospective buyers were offered free streetcar rides out to the development, and on a number of nights, free concert performances were given by August Hagenow's band in an effort to boost attendance.

The first new residence to be constructed in Sheridan Place was that of Frank M. Spalding. On April 11, 1909 the Nebraska State Journal newspaper published a rendering of the house by the architectural firm of Fiske and Dieman, stating that it is "now under construction." This was followed by a Woods Bros. advertisement in late June 1909 shows a photo of the Spalding House under construction with its walls and roof completed. So much work had progressed by the time the ad appeared that construction of the house had likely begun as early as the fall of 1908, long before the land had been officially platted and sold. Since Sheridan Place was outside of Lincoln's corporate limits at the time, no building permit was required to build the house. However, the estimated cost of construction is known because of a June 20, 1909 Woods Bros. ad which speaks of "one of our wealthiest men, Mr. F.M. Spalding," who was constructing a "$35,000 Colorado sandstone mansion in the newly platted area.

'''Later History ''' Frank Spalding was around 61 years of age when construction of the house began. He passed away at home in December l914 and his funeral was conducted from the residence. His wife and children continued to live in the home through 1920. During the next forty years the house was continuously occupied by only two different families. For a short time in the 1960s it served as a convent for the Blessed Sacrament Sisters of Mercy. Though changing owners several times in the next thirty years, the house managed to retain the majority of its historic materials and integrity. In the early 1990s, considerable expense and effort were spent to restore the residence to its former glory on both the interior and exterior.

The significance of the Frank M. Spalding House lies primarily in its role as the best representative example of Mission Style residential architecture in Lincoln and among the best in High Plains region. It was built as the first “grand mansion” along Sheridan Boulevard and established a precedent for future homes in the area. For the very beginning, the Spalding House was designed to be a landmark with its size, scale, and materials. Though minor alterations have occurred over the years, the residence retains the majority of its historic integrity, and continues to play an important role in the architectural history of Lincoln NE.

'''Sources: ''' Beautiful Lincoln: Nebraska's Capital City. Lincoln, Nebraska: The Woodruff Press, 1912. Blumenson, John J. G. Identifying American Architecture. Second Revised Edition. New York: .W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1981. City of Lincoln Building Permits #6591,23457 ,94981, 107638, 121082 City of Lincoln Deed Records. Lincoln City Directories, (1899-1991). Lincoln Daily News. "F.M. Spaulding Dead." December 18, 1914. I. Lincoln Daily Star. "F.M. Spalding Dies Suddenly." December 18, 1914. I:4. Lincoln: Nebraska's Capital City 1867-1922. Lincoln, Nebraska: The Woodruff Printing Company, 1923. McAlester, Virginia and Lee. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1996. Murphy, David. "Arthur C. Ziemer House." National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form,1971. Nebraska State Journal. "Lots Now on Sale in Sheridan Place." June 20, 1909. 3-B. Nebraska State Journal. "Sheridan Place Home of F. M. Spalding." April 11, 1909. 8-B:3-4. Sanborn Fire Insurance Company. Sanborn Fire Insurance Atlas. 1928 Whiffen, Marcus. American Architecture Since 1780: A Guide to the Styles. Cambridge, MA: The M.l.T. Press, April 1979. Zimmer, Edward F. -- "Antelope Grocery." National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. 1987. -- "Lincoln Liberty Life Insurance Building." National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. 1987. -- "Municipal Lighting and Waterworks Plant." National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. 1986 . --The Near South Walking Tours Volume I: Franklin Heights and Environs. Lincoln, NE: Near South Neighborhood Association, 1989.