Mortimer Webster House

1019-1021 S. Third St.

This interesting, two-story Italianate style house was constructed circa 1874 for Mortimer Webster, a local real estate speculator.

The house has a limestone foundation, clapboard siding, and a hipped roof with a large brick chimney. Its asymmetrical plan, low-pitched roof with widely overhanging eaves, decorative brackets and dentils, and tall and narrow one-over-one double-hung windows with segmental-arched wood surrounds are characteristics of the Italianate style. A two-story rear addition features a hipped roof, clapboard siding, and a sleeping porch on the second floor. The house was originally constructed with a one-story, full-width front porch. Between 1898 and 1904, the north elevation was extended and the porch extended to wrap the north, west, and south elevations, much as it does today. During this time a one-story addition was also built on the north elevation of the rear ell. Today, this is a two-story structure. At some point in time, the house was converted to a duplex, and the portion of the porch on the west elevation was removed.

Soon after Mr. Webster built the house, it was acquired by Elizabeth Churchill. In 1879, Elizabeth Churchill sold the property to Louise and Sturgess Selleck. In 1882, Louise Selleck sold the property to Alice E. Castle in who lived here until 1895. According to the 1894-1895 city directory, Abraham and Lottie Rohrbach were residing in the house. Mr. Rohrbach worked at a clothing store at 126 South Main Street. In 1899, the Seymour family acquired the house and built a $700 addition. The Seymour family owned the property through the 1940s. In the 1950s, the house was converted into a duplex.

— Research by The 106 Group for the City of Stillwater's Heirlooms Home and Landmark Sites Program