The passage of time manifests itself differently on some buildings than on others.  This place really intrigues me and, because it’s still standing, there is still hope.  One of Stockton, Kansas’ most architecturally significant early houses, this Second Empire diamond-in-the-very-rough has endured a lot throughout its lifespan.  Dating to the 1870’s or early 1880’s, this native limestone house is built of coursed ashlar with a rough pointed finish and unusually articulated, smooth-faced, quoins.  The concrete block additions from various parts of the 20th century have left the house looking a bit consumed.  I took the following photos many years ago and was thrilled to find that it was still standing as of a year ago.

High style on the prairie!  It’s had plenty of alterations, but enough is left to see what once was.

These quoins are amazing! Their ends project out from the wall plane ever so slightly and have chamfered corners. Incised decoration further enhances them. Beautiful!

The house is engulfed on 3 sides by later additions.

It just kind of boggles the mind…

If it weren’t for the fact that this place was strictly utilitarian for roughly the past century, it would likely not still be standing.

Shown in context circa 2008 courtesy Google Street View.

These photos don’t do this house justice; it really is an amazing place.  Stockton still has quite a few pieces of its early history but, like most towns, not as much as it once did.  Buildings like this are increasingly rare.