Franz Schwarzer House - Washington, MO
Posted by: YoSam.
N 38° 33.528 W 091° 00.470
15S E 673579 N 4269699
Original access was road in front of house along train tacks...that is now blocked off..address is Walnut Street extension for this and one other old house...best view from city park along the river.
Waymark Code: WMYX61
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 08/05/2018
Views: 0
County of house: Franklin County
Location of house: foot of Walnut Street, Washington
Built: 1868, 1872
"The Franz Schwarzer House, located at 2 Walnut Street along the Missouri River in
Washington, Missouri, is one building of two distinct parts and styles: clapboarded
cottage and Victorian brick home. The clapboarded section, built before
1868, 2 is a two-story, gable-roofed structure with a one-story, lean-to addition
on the southwest. Adjoining the clapboarded section on the northeast is a two-story,
hip-roofed brick dwelling of ell-shaped plan, added in 1872. Assymetrical
design, pronounced verticality and fanciful details evidenced in an ornate widow's
walk and gingerbread porch/balcony lend a distinctive Victorian air of informal
elegance to the latter structure, a building otherwise representative of the
excellent German brickwork typical of 19th century Washington." ~ NRHP Nomination Form
House Site:
"The Franz Schwarzer House, overlooking the Missouri River from its location at
2 Walnut Street, was originally part of a large park including the Schwarzer
zither factory, relic house, greenhouse, carriage house and other outbuildings
as well as extensive gardens which covered all of Block 19 and part of Block
20 of the original town of Washington. The present property covers approximately
2 1/3 lots of the northeast end of Block 19. The original frame carriage house
remains on the extreme southwest boundary of the property. A gravel drive extends
from Walnut Street to the center of the property. A brick patio and walk have
been created to approximate the original brickwork; part of the original brick
walk does remain at the northeast and southeast of the house. An original cast
iron fountain is in use on the southwest patio. The property is well landscaped
with shrubs and evergreen and flowering trees. Unfortunately, the present view
of the Missouri River is marred by the presence of a large sand-dredging operation
located across the railroad tracks. For some time the city of Washington and the
Army Corps of Engineers^have planned to create a riverfront park, which would
involve the removal of the unsightly sand plant. A completion date of June, 1979
was established, however there is no evidence of any progress toward that goal.
It is hoped that the placement of the Franz Schwarzer House on the National Register
of Historic Places would revive community interest in the historic value and
beauty of the riverfront area and provide a catalyst for the eventual creation of
the planned park." ~ NRHP Nomination Form
"100. 2 Walnut Street, the Franz Schwarzer Residence (1868), ca. 1868,1872. A two story
brick l-house with a stone foundation and a frame rear ell that predates the main house. The
two story rear ell has a heavy timber frame filled with brick nogging, is covered with
weatherboard siding and has a gable roof with cedar shakes. The l-house section has a
truncated hip roof topped with a widows walk and wrought iron railing, a central bay front porch,
and a denticulated cornice. The 1/1 windows are early, but not original. [Individually listed on
the National Register, 1978]" ~ NRHP Document for Locust Street Historic District
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