County of building: Cooper County
Location of building: 7th St., between Spruce St & E. Walnut St., Boonville
Built: 1869
Architect/Builder: Unknown.
Architectural Style: Missouri German
Original Occupant: J.S. Dauwa1ter
Current Occupant: Private Residence
"The John S. Dauwalter House, 817 Seventh Street, was constructed on a
central hall, piano nobile plan circa 1869. The one-and-one-half story, vernacular brick dwelling was altered circa 1880 with the addition of a front gable ell and circa 1920 with the addition of a rear shed and enclosure of a recessed corner porch. Its gable roofs are sheathed with composition shingles. The load bearing brick walls are laid in a common bond variant of seven stretcher rows per header row. In addition to the house, the property includes three contributing ancillary buildings: A gable roofed cow barn, a shed roofed storage building, and a two room wash house with a saltbox roof. Despite minor alterations, the John S. Dauwalter House retains sufficient physical characteristics to convey integrity of workmanship, materials, and design, in addition to its integrity of location and setting.
"In 1868, John Stephen Dauwalter purchased four city lots which
were the site of the Rice and Lapsley tannery, established in the 1820s. From 1869 until 1913, Dauwalter, first as "Dauwalter and Doerner--Tanners, Curriers and Dealers in Hides and Leather," and later as "Dauwalter and Son," operated a tannery and harness manufacturing business. The house and its collection of ancillary structures are also an example of a relatively intact urban farmstead, a property type incompletely surveyed and identified in the original
Boonville survey. According to Lewis Atherton, in Main Street on the Middle Border, "cow barns, pigpens, smokehouses, and chicken houses were standard equipment in country towns. The Dauwalter ancillary structures suggest that the production and maintenance activities usually associated with rural areas were conducted within the incorporated limits of Boonville." ~ NRHP Nomination Form
"Built: c. 1869
Style/Design: Missouri German
Built on the piano nobile plan the basement entrance is on the E façade of the NE projecting ell. Also on this façade is a polygonal 2 story bay. Windows are 2-over-2, segmentally arched, and are attenuated. On the basement level the windows are soldier course; on the 1st story they are rowlock. There is a pent roof L shaped porch on the SE. It has square columns, stickwork brackets and a cut-out balustrade. The double entrances have transoms, side lights with square flanking pilasters. This porch is a later addition. On the W is a gable dormer and a pent porch.
"This lot is the site of the "Rice and Lapsley tannery which was
established as early as 1820. After the dissolution of their partnership on June 20th, 1822, Jeremiah Rice operated the tannery independently. A newspaper ad of 1825 stated that the Rice tannery
"has developed a new method of curing skins" under the direction of John F. Thompson, foreman. Jeremiah Rice went on to become a Cooper County Judge between the years 1850-54.
In 1868 John Stephen Dauwalter purchased four city lots containing the tanyard and original residence from the Jerimiah Rice estate. Reopening the tanyard in 1869, the business became known as "Dauwa1ter and Doerner-Tanners, Curriers and Dealers in Hides and
Leather" with an office on the west side of 7th. street between Spruce and Elm. Dauwalter remained in business till 1913, also under the name "Dauwalter and Son." This firm expanded their business to include harness manufacturing and became "the leading concern of its kind in Boonville for many years."
The present house was built in 1869 and appears as the residence of J.S. Dauwa1ter,in the first Boonville City Directory, 1869-70.
"The residence sits at the rear of the lot which rises to the W. It is a double lot - vacant to the S, except for 3 sheds. A small cow shed built of wide vertical boards and having a pent roof is along the W alley. A gable roofed building is to the SW. It has a brick foundation and is clapboard over frame." ~ Boonville Historic Survey PDF pages 1075-1078