County of building: Franklin County
Location of building: W. Front St. & Lafayette St., Washington
Built: 1846
Classified: A-3 - commercial
Original Occupant: Zachariah & Amelia Foss
Current Occupant: La Dolce Vita Vineyard & Winery
District Map
"Possibly the oldest frame house in the city, 24 W. Front Street, was built in 1349 by Zachariah Foss, a carpenter from Maine. It is an unusual example of braced frame construction with brick, hogging, and is one of the few early houses surviving from Washington's first period of growth." ~ NRHP Nomination Form, PDF page 13
"Federal/Greek Revival, circa 1849 - 1895, Coded A.
This group is largely represented by vernacular interpretations of Federal and/or Greek Revival styles; it contains one of the largest
single collections of buildings (about one-fourth of the total) and
enjoyed the greatest longevity. All rest on stone foundations and all
except two are brick. The majority are three bays wide and rise two
stories with first story utilized as commercial space and -second for
residential; a few are one story commercial. ... Ornamentation is restrained, generally limited to brick dentil ling, stringcourses, recessed paneling and pilasters. Several feature decorative cast iron balconies, lintals or storefronts. While the majority of roofs are side-gabled, five feature street-front gables or shaped parapets sometimes pierced with an attic window or lunette. The two frame houses, 311 W. Third and 24 W. Front are both clapboard; 24 Front features braced frame construction with brick nogging.
"Commercial . Coded With Black Bar
This designation indicates that historically the building (or part of
it) was used for commercial purposes. Since very few properties were
constructed exclusively for commerce, the black bar code at the front of the property parcel generally refers to a first story storefront.
"Residential (c. 1849 - 1930), Coded 3
This designation denotes fifteen buildings used only for residential
purposes (all are detached, single-family except for two detached,
multi-family), as well as numerous buildings which mix residential use
with commercial and a few which are institutional/residential or
industrial/residential and are doubled coded as such." ~ NRHP Nomination Form
Historic Marker on Building:
ZACHARIAH FOSS
HOUSE
This house was purchased by Zachariah and Amelia Foss in 1848. Zachariah was a cabinetmaker and Amelia was a teacher of English-speaking children. The house served as a school and is Washington's oldest surviving frame structure. The cellar was exposed by regrading streets in the 1870's. Mr and Mrs. Foss' daughter married James W. Owens, the only son of Washington's founders.
1846
"This 1½ story frame building now has an entry on Front St. at the NW corner of the basement level (north elevation). To the west of the door a shuttered 1/1 double hung window is in place. Segmental arched lintels appear above door and window. A change in street level lowered the north elevation approximately 3 feet. Masonry work was required resulting in a brick and stone foundation. The foundation level windows were added after 1870 probably by Peter Kappler. Second floor windows are 2/2 double hung and shuttered. Below the roof gables can be seen 6/6 double hung windows. The west facade is the primary facade and faces Lafayette St. A central door was originally in place on the first floor of this elevation. Below the roofline four six light windows are in place. These windows slide toward each other to provide ventilation. This elevation had a dormer window (now removed). The west window of the north gable wall was at one time a door to
a balcony. This was changed by 1890. A window below that door has also been closed up. The south elevation porch was added after 1908. as part of a major renovation that removed the west elevation center door. There is now an entry on the south wall. There~ is a room addition at the SE corner of the building. An open frame porch has recently been added to the east elevation.
"Zachariah Foss Jr. and his wife Amelia emigrated to Missouri from Maine via Canada in 1848.It is believed from Foss letters that he moved into the building at 24 Front/4 Lafayette after it was constructed by a former owner. Perhaps J.R. Hardin, the person Foss acquired the lot from in 1849.was the builder. Foss was a noted cabinet maker. The Foss house faced the ferry and steamboat landing." ~ Washington Historic Survey Phase I, page 18