Nearest city Earlham, Iowa Built c. 1870 | Area less than one acre | |
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Location 2½ miles south of Earlham on County Road P57 Built by George Francis
J.G Parkins MPS Legacy in Stone: The Settlement Era of Madison County, Iowa TR | ||
The W.T. Ford House is a historic residence located south of Earlham, Iowa, United States. This early example of a vernacular limestone farmhouse was built in three parts. The first section of the house is attributed to George Francis, who was one of the first settlers in the township. This 1½-story section is composed of rubble limestone. The first addition was built onto the south side of the original house. It is also 1½-stories and it is composed of locally quarried finished cut and ashlar limestone. Most of the main facade of this addition has a full sized enclosed stucco porch.
W.T. Ford bought the property in 1868 from Francis and had the second addition built to the west of the first addition. It is 2½-stories and is composed of ashlar and rubble stone that was quarried at Eureka Quarry in Madison Township. The quarry's owner, J.G Parkins, is credited with building this addition. He may have built the first addition as well. All three sections of the house are capped with gable roofs, and the two additions feature bracketed eaves. Ford was a major player in the area owning 2,000 acres (810 ha), and with his partners, farmed 5,000 acres (2,000 ha). The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.