Foss and Wells House
Foss and Wells House | |
 The Foss and Wells House from the west | |
  Location within Minnesota  Location within the United States | |
| Location | 613 S. Broadway Street, Jordan, Minnesota |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 44°39′23.5″N 93°37′36″W / 44.656528°N 93.62667°W |
| Area | 1.72 acres (0.70 ha) |
| Built | 1858 |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| MPS | Scott County MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 80002161[1] |
| Added to NRHP | April 17, 1980 |
The Foss and Wells House is a historic house in Jordan, Minnesota, United States. It was built 1858 and was jointly inhabited by the two families that owned a nearby gristmill.[2] The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 for its significance in the themes of architecture, commerce, exploration/settlement, and industry.[1] It was nominated for its association with Jordan's early milling industry and for its distinctive Italianate architecture in stone.[2]
Description
[edit]The Foss and Wells House stands on a bluff overlooking Sand Creek to the north. It is two stories with a cupola. The house is built of irregular sandstone ashlars. Elements of Italianate style include the cubical massing, shallow pitched roof, cupola, bracketed cornice, and arched window and door lintels. A nearby outbuilding has similar stone architecture.[2]
The house originally had a second-story balcony and three chimneys, all of which have been removed. A one-story frame garage was added to the south side of the house in the 1930s.[2]
History
[edit]The house was built in 1858 for Edwin and James Foss and Rufus Wells, who jointly owned a water-powered gristmill down the hill on Sand Creek. The city of Jordan had recently been platted, and it developed quickly over the next two decades as an important regional wheat-milling center. The Foss and Wells families lived together in the house until 1890. It was acquired by a new family in 1911 and was still owned by them at the time of the property's National Register nomination in 1980.[2]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Bloomberg, Britta (July 1979). National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Foss and Wells House. National Park Service. Retrieved February 8, 2025. With three accompanying photos from 1979
