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
Last Occupant: La Dolce Vita Vineyard & Winery
Current Occupant: Vacant
District Map
WASHINGTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Incorporated
Preserving Yesterday, Today For Tomorrow
ZACHARIAH FOSS
HOUSE
Believed o be the Oldest Wood Frame House in Washington
Built In
1846
Plaque Donors
Hazel, Inc. • Washington, MO
Washington Area Chamber of Commerce
"Possibly the oldest frame house in the city, 24 W. Front Street, was built in 1849 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 (Photo t* 3) 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