Benjamin Stephenson House - Architecture

Architecture

The house was built in the early Federal style and was originally designed as a two-story rectangular building with four square rooms. The interior and exterior walls are of three course thick brick; the bricks were manufactured on site by Benjamin Stephenson's indentured servants. The exterior is composed of at least 100,000 bricks, all of which were made on the Stephenson House property. Each of the four rooms, two on the first floor and two on the second floor are 18 foot (5.5 m) by 18 foot (5.5 m) square and contain fireplaces. Five windows grace the second floor, while on the first floor there are four windows and an inset door which opens into the central hallway.

On its interior, the Stephenson House, again, has brick walls. The central hallway is 7 feet (2.1 m) wide and stretches in a "Southern manner," from the front to the back of the house. The central hallway contains the home's staircase. The four rooms' fireplaces are vented through two chimneys, constructed flush with the north and south end walls. The interior floor were originally of four inch (102 mm) wide pine board and covered with oak during the 1940s. The staircase is made of red cypress and features relatively ornately carved woodwork, all of which is original and cast in Adam style.

Behind (west of) the original house was a detached, 20 foot (6.1 m) by 20 foot (6.1 m) kitchen constructed over a fruit cellar. The detached kitchen was torn down when the home underwent extensive remodeling in 1845. During this time period a two-story wing was added to the home. The wing, 20 foot (6.1 m) by 40 foot (12.2 m), altered the home's appearance into an ell pattern. The ell was built of the same brick as the original home, but covered six windows with its construction on the Stephenson House's west (rear) facade. A 13 foot (4.0 m) wide veranda was attached to the wing's south side. The entire new addition was cast in the Greek Revival style.

The subsequent owner made further alterations to the house in 1902. The owner added a 20 foot (6.1 m) by 12 foot (3.7 m) Victorian front porch, complete with a gable roof and Victorian style wood tracery. He also reversed the home's staircase and filled in all four original fireplaces. During the 1940s the home underwent further remodeling, in part, to modernize the building. Inside, modern plumbing was added and outside a frame one car garage was attached to the west end of the house. The 1902 porch was torn off the east facade, thus restoring it to its original appearance. In addition, the pillars on the south side of the house were replaced with square designs and a French door was cut into the north facade to open onto a brick terrace.