Lapham-Patterson House

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

Built in 1885, the Lapham-Patterson House is Thomasville's only National Historic Landmark. The house was awarded this designation because of its unique, progressive Victorian architecture. It was built by Chicago shoe merchant, Charles Willard Lapham and designed by Tudor Rommerdal. Some of the interesting features include fishscale shingles, oriental porch decorations, a stained glass window in the men's parlor room on the third floor, fifty exits (doors and windows), and a double chimney flue through which the staircase rises from the first to the second floor. The house was also advanced for its time, featuring gas lighting, hot and cold water, and indoor plumbing. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Images

The Lapham-Patterson House

View of the dining room and the double flue chimney, with the staircase running between them

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

The Lapham-Patterson House, located at 626 North Dawson Street is a Queen Ann-style cottage built during the winter of 1884-1885 for Chicago shoe merchant Charles Willard Lapham. The whimsical 6,000 square-foot house is a showcase for the progressive eccentricities of Lapham, his architect Tudor Rommerdal, and the late Victorian era in general. It was home to three families, hosted funerals and weddings, and has at various points both delighted sightseers and enticed school children with its unusual architecture. In 1975, it became Thomasville’s only National Historic Landmark.

Sources

http://thomascountyhistory.org/history-of-the-house http://gastateparks.org/info/lapham https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapham-Patterson_House http://thomascountyhistory.org/history-of-the-house Russell Wright. "Lapham-Patterson House," National Register of Historic Places. 8-12-70.