403 & 405 W. 8th Street

Thomas W. Wright House

Built: 1903

Style: Free Classic

The construction of this large Free Classic was finished by 1903 for Thomas W. Wright, owner of the Wright-Rich Cut Class Company and the Wright Shovel Works. In the mid-1920s, the home was purchased by Charles E. Wilson, who would later become the President of General Motors Corporation and Secretary of Defense during the Eisenhower Administration. Frank M. Prescott, another GM executive, briefly owned the home in 1933 before it was purchased by Harold and Laura Rozelle in 1939. The Rozelle Funeral Home was located in the house for several decades.

During construction, the brick masons were reportedly brought over from England. A round tower with a conical roof and finial is located at the northeast corner. The front gable features a Palladian window with a keystone; the entry porch is supported by Classical columns and a pediment.