Joseph Bostwick House
Introduction
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This Queen Anne house, built in 1889, has an interesting story behind it. It was originally located on the South Main Street site of the Carnegie Library. It was moved in two parts "up the hill" in 1902. Joseph Bostwick, partner of J.M. Bostwick and Sons Clothing store, was owner at the time of the move.
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Joseph Bostwick House: Past and Present
Backstory and Context
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The most popular late nineteenth-century style in Janesville is the Queen Anne (1880-1910). The roots of this style extend to the 1870s, when medieval-manor house designs by British architect Richard Norman Shaw inspired American architects to emulate its look. In the mid-1870s, Queen Anne style houses were first built in coastal resorts and expensive suburbs, but were quickly transferred to urban settings. Pattern books and mail-order plans assisted in popularizing the many versions of the style.
Examples of Queen Anne style houses are found nearly everywhere in Janesville, particularly in neighborhoods which developed after the extensions of streetcar lines.