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Summary
Freeman, Roscius S. and Lydia R., House
220 North Third Street, River Falls, Pierce County
Architect: Arthur Symes
Date of construciton: 1908
Roscius and Lydia built this house in 1908 as a retirement home and resided in the house until deaths. Their son, "Rosh," and his wife Gertrude continued to live there after. Gertrude sold the house in 1972.
Rosicus Freeman operated a drug store in River Falls beginning in the 1870s. In 1898, his son R.W. "Rosh" Freeman joined him. The Freemans, and their wives, were civic and social leaders in River Falls during the late 19th and the early 20th centuries. Residential blocks around the Freeman House housed merchants, professionals, and individuals associated with the River Falls Normal School.
The house was constructed at a time of transition between architectural styles. It is a blend of the Queen Anne and the Shingle Style with Colonial Revival features. The Freeman House features classical ornamentation, including Ionic columns on the front porch and elaborately patterned windows. Groups of leaded and beveled glass windows with floral and geometric patterns decorated each façade. A prominent conical roofed tower is centered above the wide front porch; the complex roof design features a central hipped mass with multiple hipped roof wings and dormers. An unusual sleeping porch (added circa 1918) with single hung pocket windows catches summer breezes. The interior features a cross-hall plan with a richly ornamented central staircase located at the rear of the house.
Local contractor Arthur Symes designed and constructed the house. Symes was responsible for the construction of dozens of houses and churches in River Falls during this period.
The Freeman House is a private residence and is not open to the public. Please respect the rights and privacy of the owners.
Property Details
Resources Within The Property
Designations
State & National Registers of Historic Places
The State Register and National Register recognize buildings, sites, districts, structures, and objects that are significant in national, state, or local history. The State Historic Preservation Office in conjunction with the National Park Service maintains the list for Wisconsin and makes the data available to the public for research and education.
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220 S Fourth St
100011509
Located in River Falls, Pierce County
Roscius and Ingebor Freeman House Listed in the State Register of Historic Places
Thursday, December 12, 2024
The Wisconsin Historical Society announces the listing of the Roscius and Ingebor Freeman House in River Falls (Pierce County) on the State Register of Historic Places.
Freeman House Listed in the National Register of Historic Places
Tuesday, April 08, 2025
The Wisconsin Historical Society announces the listing of the Freeman House in the National Register of Historic Places on March 13, 2025.
