Area less than one acre Built by Will A. Warren Opened 1896 | Built 1896 NRHP Reference # 97000388 Added to NRHP 2 May 1997 | |
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Location 719 N. Calhoun St.
West Liberty, Iowa Architectural style Queen Anne style architecture Similar Big Slough Creek Bridge, Old Jail, Trinity Episcopal Church, Muscatine County Courthouse, Lock and Dam No 16 | ||
George H. and Loretta Ward House, also known as the Cline House, is an historic residence located in West Liberty, Iowa, United States. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1997.
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History
George Ward was a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Loretta was from the West Liberty-West Branch, Iowa area. They originally settled on a farm near Centerdale, Iowa before moving to West Liberty in 1890. Local contractor Will A. Warren built this house in 1896. The Wards owned one of the first automobiles in town and hired Frank Pertlick as a chauffeur and gardener. George died in 1905 and Loretta in 1919. The house and property was bequeathed to Pertlick, but it was tied up in probate for years. His lawyer, J.E. McIntosh, took the property as payment.
Architecture
The Ward House is a 2½ story, frame structure executed in the Queen Anne style. The main block measures 39 by 36 feet (12 by 11 m) and the summer kitchen adds another 14 by 15 feet (4.3 by 4.6 m). The primary decorative feature on the exterior is a wrap-around porch. It is highlighted by a corner turret capped with a finial, and it is enclosed with a balustrade. The asymmetrical facade has a second story porch above the main floor porch with a distinctive balustrade. The main block of the house is capped with a hip roof. The cross gables feature metal crests along the top. At one time there was a barn on the property that housed the carriage and horses. It has subsequently been torn down and replaced by a smaller carriage house/garage, however the date of construction is unknown.