Capt. Nicholas W. and Emma Johnson House | |
Coordinates: | 41.6002°N -93.6454°W |
Area: | less than one acre |
Built: | 1896 |
Builder: | Charles Weitz |
Architect: | Oliver O. Smith |
Added: | December 6, 1990 |
Refnum: | 90001854 |
The Capt. Nicholas W. and Emma Johnson House is a historic building located in Des Moines, Iowa. The house is an unusual example in Des Moines of Châteauesque design elements added to a late Queen Anne style house.[1] The design was attributed to Des Moines architect Oliver O. Smith and was built by local contractor Charles Weitz. The 2½-story brick structure features large massing, a prominent front-facing gable, two full-height polygonal side bays, steeply pitched hipped roof, smooth and rough wall surfaces, contrasting courses, and the fleur-de-lis motif executed in stone, ceramic tile, and glass.
The house was built for Nicholas and Emma Johnson. He was a sea captain who later farmed in Madison County before he and his second wife Emma settled here in her hometown. While it was built as a single-family house, it was converted into a funeral home in 1933 and it remained as such at least into the 1990s. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.