THREE CENTURIES OF ARCHITECTURAL STYLES IN FORT PLAIN

By Nancy Brown and Eileen Chambers

Traveling through the Village of Fort Plain one notices that there are many homes reflecting over three centuries of architectural styles of our forebears. Six architectural styles found throughout the village will be outlined in the article: Colonial 1625-ca.1840, Gothic Revival 1840-1860, Italianate 1840-1855, Second Empire 1855-1885, Queen Anne 1880-1910 and Modern Contemporary 1940-1980. Following the descriptions of the 6 styles are photos of 6 Fort Plain homes that exemplify each style. See if you can match the home to the proper architectural style.

COLONIAL 1625-CA. 1840 One story with side-gabled or gambled or no rake overhang. Basic needs of shelter are often provided by local building materials

GOTHIC REVIVAL 1840-1880 Steeply pitched roof, usually with steep cross gables; gables commonly have decorated verge boards; wall surface extending into gable without break; windows commonly extend into gables, frequently having pointed-arch shape; one-story porch either entry or full width.

ITALIANATE 1840-1855 Two or three stories; lo-pitched roof with widely overhanging eaves having decorative brackets beneath; tall, narrow windows commonly arched or curved above; windows with elaborated crowns; commonly with square cupola or tower.

SECOND EMPIRE 1855-1885 Mansard roof with dormer windows on steep lower slope; molded cornices normally bound the lower roof slope both above and below decorative brackets usually present beneath eaves.

QUEEN ANNE 1880-1910 Steeply pitched roof of irregular shape, usually with a dominate front-facing gable; patterned shingles, cutaway bay windows, and other devices used to avoid a smooth-walled appearance; asymmetrical façade with partial or full-width porch one story high or extended along one or both side walls.

MODERN CONTEMPORARY 1940-1980 Multiple large windows and flat roofs. Minimalist design with the simplest of lines and little to no adornment. Wall surfaces are usually various combinations of wood, brick or stone.

Home of David G. Hackney and his family.

David G. Hackney and his family inhabited this lovely home. Mr. Hackney was very prominent in village affairs. He was a mayor of Fort Plain and a patron of the D.G. Hackney Hose Company. He sponsored Fireman’s Balls at the Fritcher Opera House and attended many hose company conferences throughout the state. Like many noted businessmen of the time, he was a very successful hops broker. President Cleveland appointed him Postmaster for the village of Fort Plain and Governor Hill appointed him Commissioner of State Fisheries. David G. Hackney died at the age of 60 in 1898.

Residence of George Yost.

At one time this home was the residence of George Yost. He was born in the early 19th century in Johnstown, NY. He graduated from Union College and studied the law with Daniel Cady, father of Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Mr. Yost moved to Fort Plain and purchased the brick home from its builder, Henry Crouse. His law practice was in the Hackney building on Mohawk Street. He was elected to the New York State Senate and he also served as Judge and Surrogate of Montgomery County.

This home is possibly the earliest structure built in the village of Fort Plain.

The date of the pictured home is uncertain, but it is possible the home is the earliest structure built in the village as it retains several characteristics of an early era. It is believed that the home was stuccoed when it was built to preserve the shale that was used in building the exterior walls. According to Jessie Ravage, preservation consultant who completed the Historic Resources Survey for the village of Fort Plain, two of the characteristics of this early home are the six-over-six sash and the simple recessed doorway with a narrow transom light above.

The original owner of the home was DeWitt Clinton Shults, a prominent attorney in Fort Plain and at one time, President of the Fort Plain National Bank. The original owner of the home was DeWitt Clinton Shults, a prominent attorney in Fort Plain and at one time, President of the Fort Plain National Bank.

This majestic home sits atop Prospect Hill in the village. The architect of the home was Albert Warren Fuller of Albany, NY who designed three other homes in the village. The original owner of the home was DeWitt Clinton Shults, a prominent attorney in Fort Plain and at one time, President of the Fort Plain National Bank. Four generations of the Shults family occupied the home until the death of DeWitt C. Shults, Jr., in 2006.

Home of William Campbell Watkins and Margilynn Fox Watkins

William Campbell Watkins was born in Wales. He came with his family to America at the age of 16 in 1908. The family first settled in Washington, D.C. and came to Fort Plain in 1913. Unable to join the U.S. forces during World War 1, he enlisted in the Canadian Army. After serving for 18 months, he returned to Fort Plain where he and his brother, Archibald, started a retail grocery store known as Watkins Brothers first on Center Street and then on Canal Street. The store operated until 1961. Campbell, the name he went by, and his first wife, Margilynn Fox Watkins lived in the home pictured.

This home was inhabited by John Abbott and his family.

This home was inhabited by John Abbott and his family. Mr. Abbott resided in Fort Plain his entire life. During his lifetime he was engaged in the cattle buying business, the hop buying business and the real estate business. He was responsible for the building of several large apartment blocks along Reid Street and was the builder of several homes along Abbott Street which takes his name. Abbott was a member of Fort Plain’s board of water commissioners which built the reservoir and water mains for the village. When John Abbott died, he was the oldest living resident of Fort Plain.

Authors of this article were Fort Plain residents Nancy Brown and Eileen Chambers. Nancy Brown is a former librarian who has an interest in old homes and architectural styles. Eileen Chambers is the Village of Fort Plain Historian.

Sources used for the article were A Field Guide to American Houses by Virginia & Lee McAlester, Historic Resources Survey: Village of Fort Plain by Jessie A. Ravage, and fultonhistory.com. Photos by Eileen Chambers.