Dr. Charles M. Wright House

Dr. Wright hired Architect C. H. Spilman, Edwardsville, Illinois to design the home. Copies of the architect’s plans, elevations and the “Specifications For Residence for C M. Wright” are displayed at the house. Dr. Wright used several 1880’s architectural journals and suppliers’ catalogs to plan his new home. They remain in the house. The house is designed in the Second Empire (Mansard) style with Italianate style influences as evidenced by the Mansard roof, patterned slate on the roof, the dressed stones on the exterior corners of the buildings (known as Quoins), the tall windows on first story, the bay windows and especially the brackets beneath the eaves. The original plans also show wrought iron cresting above the upper cornice. This appears on a picture of the home from 1897, but has since been removed. The only other building in Effingham county on the National Register of Historic Places is the Effingham County Courthouse which was built in 1871 and was also designed in the Second Empire style. The building contractor was Charles Hanker of Toledo, Illinois. He agreed to build the house for a total price of $17,965. The owner was to furnish the materials, which must have cost about the same as the contractor’s price, because the eighteen room brick home cost $35,000 to build. The 6,000 square foot home has 7 bedrooms and one bathroom. The Dr. Wright House was designed to be self-sufficient. It was the first house in Altamont to have a gas lighting system, indoor plumbing and a central steam-heating system.