John_Wright_Mansion
John Wright Mansion
Historic house in Ohio, United States
The John Wright Mansion is a historic farmhouse located east of Bellevue in northwestern Huron County, Ohio, United States. Built in 1881,[1] it represents an unusual combination of location and architectural styles.
A native of England, John Wright settled in the United States in 1833, moving quickly to Huron County. Here, he quickly began to increase his wealth and buy real estate; when he finished buying land, he was in possession of approximately 2,500 acres (1,000 ha). Besides buying land, he was prominent for his military service as a four-year veteran of the United States Army during the Civil War.[2]
When Wright decided to build the present house, he chose to employ the Second Empire style of architecture. This combination was quite unusual: Second Empire houses are found far more often in urban settings, and massive residences of the style are very rare on farmsteads in the region.[2] Built of brick,[3] this three-story house is topped with a mansard roof and prominent dormers; the front is symmetrical and ornamented with a bracketed porch in the Italianate style. Toward the rear, a wing as tall as the rest of the house extends southward; the interior is composed of a substantial ballroom and twenty-three other rooms.[2]
In early 1974, the Wright Mansion was listed on the National Register of Historic Places,[1] qualifying because of its distinctive historic architecture.[3] Today, the mansion is part of Historic Lime Village, a volunteer-based organization that operates it as a historic house museum.[4]