Paris, Idaho - Architectural Treasure

In 1978, the Idaho Historical Society cataloged over 80 architecturally significant historic houses and commercial buildings in Paris, Idaho.  In this and future columns we will highlight one or two. The Paris Museum has information about this and other homes. 

 9 SITE NAME:  Jacob Tueller Jr. house              SITE  24

LOCATION:  75 South First East, Paris, Idaho

Photo by Carmen Wimmer

The former Jacob Tueller Jr. house, built in 1887, is a mansard roof I cottage: the main block is one-and-a-half stories in height, one room deep, and possesses the typical configuration of central entry and flanking windows.

The original masonry has been stuccoed over; the outset over door with its shaped-shingle gable face, once supported, no doubt, on freestanding turned posts matching those engaged on either side of the door, is now supported on wrought-iron members; at least the north most shed addition to the gabled rear ell appears relatively recent, although the ell itself and the hip-roofed, glassed in porch abutting it at right rear are probably early. However, this "very tidy mansard-roofed house"* retains its distinctive massing, its double-eave profile, the outlines of its masonry trim, stone quoins and brick segmental arches,  and the simple but handsome millwork of the round headed dormers that light the attic story: curvilinear side brackets and low relief discs and piping under the arches.  Sashes are two-over-two lights. *J.M. Neil, Saints and Oddfellows (Boise : Boise Gallery of Art, 1976),p . 100.

The Jacob Tueller, Jr. house is architecturally significant as one of the better preserved mansard houses in Paris and the single extant and unaltered example of the Tueller family group mansards built in the late 1880's.

Jacob, Sr.'s house, similar to the Weilermann house (site 50) in shape and openings, stood directly to the south of  this house. In its squat I-house profile, flare double-eave roofline and brick segmental window caps, this house resembles the Cole house (site 25). But for the stucco overlay and modified porch, the Jacob Tueller, Jr. house would stand as a freestanding example of the mansard unit as found in Paris, and which was used in combination with other building units in the Budge and Hoge houses (sites 22 and 26). For its display of corner masonry, despite the covering, and its connection with Paris' unusually high concentration of mansard-roofed houses, the Tueller house is of statewide significance.