256 ELM STREET
HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE
256 Elm Street was built for John Messenger Metcalf and his second wife, Rebecca Ann Brown, around 1889. John married Rebecca on April 18, 1889 and this home could have been a wedding present to her. John was among many who worked at the Elgin National Watch Company. He was born in 1845 in Lancashire, England and immigrated to the United States with his parents when he was two years old. He married his first wife, Martha Hawes on June 26, 1883, though, they were married four short years when Martha passed away in 1887. John and Rebecca had one daughter, Rebecca Caroline who was born in 1893. John and Rebecca remained in the home until her passing in 1902 and John’s passing in 1926.
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
256 Elm Street is considered a contributing front-gabled, Folk Victorian structure to this area. Folk Victorian was popular around 1870 through 1910. Some features on this home that classifies it under this style include its spindlework detailing at the porch freeze and its flat jigsaw cut trim that flanks both sides of the porch columns. The porch posts found with this style are commonly turned spindles or square posts with chamfered corners.
TIMELINE OF PREVIOUS OWNERS
Sources: Find A Grave; Audio: TextAloud