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| The Jonathan Funk house today. (Mary Beth Pastorius) |
One of the most interesting houses in Waynesburg faces Sunrise Park and East Greene Street. Today, the simple, refined exterior gives little indication that it was once decorated with elaborate Victorian trim, designed to showcase the products of its lumberyard owner, Jonathan M. Funk. In the 1930s, the second owner, attorney Robert Thompson, removed the frills, converting it to a classic Colonial Revival. It is unusual that both versions are fine examples of their style. More common is for “remodelings” to become “remuddlings,” but not in this case.
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| Another view of the house. (Mary Beth Pastorius) |
The house
was erected ca. 1876 in Italianate style, the first of the so-called Victorian
architectural fashions that followed the more formal Greek Revival. Modeled
after picturesque Italian villas rather than classic temples, Italianate houses
were decorated with intricately-carved wood trim, made possible by the invention
of the steam-powered saw. However, their plan was the same as early American buildings,
making possible their later conversions to Colonial Revival when fancy
Victorian décor was no longer popular.
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| Watercolor view of the house and fence as built in 1876. (Suzanne Wylie) |
When built,
the Funk House had decorative brackets below its wide overhanging eaves and frilly
eyebrow moldings around round-headed windows. The roof of the broad,
veranda-style porch was supported by broadly curved arches.
The ornate
fence in front of the house, now gone, was a stellar example of “Carpenter
Gothic.” This term describes the many patterns that Victorian carpenters cut from
wood, replicating Gothic stone carvings. The classically pedimented gate posts,
topped with urns, were inspired by the Greek Revival. All three
styles--Italianate, Gothic and Greek Revival—evolved from the Romantic movement
of the mid-19th century that influenced art, literature and music as
well as architecture.
The earliest
known panoramic photo of Waynesburg (ca. 1876) shows the house in construction.
Chimneys have not yet appeared above the roofline, and a large ladder rests
against the rear elevation.
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| Hexagonal newel post and ornate staircase spindles in entrance hall. (Mary Beth Pastorius) |
Today, the interior of the house is much the same as when built. The center hall features the original curved staircase with hexagonal newel post and there are marble mantelpieces in most rooms.
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| Original marble mantelpiece in a bedroom. (Mary Beth Pastorius) |
In the 1930s, two residences were built next-door to the newly remodeled Funk House, all in Colonial Revival style. Together, they make an attractive grouping.
Originally,
the Funk House stood in a country-like setting outside the borough boundary. The
mill occupied the rest of the large tract that extended east and south to where
Purman Run enters Ten Mile Creek, including what is today Wiley Stadium of Waynesburg
University. The area behind the house was not developed until East Lincoln
Street was extended to the Crawford Bridge in 1903.
The Funk Planing
Mill was one of two established in Waynesburg shortly after the Civil War. The
other was located nearby on East Greene Street where Avalon Court is today. Together,
they produced much of the fine Victorian woodwork that is still seen and
enjoyed throughout the town.
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| Fountain and statue that stood in Sunrise Park, now gone. (Photo by W. T. Hays as it appears in The
Waynesburg Commons and Parks, 2004, G. Wayne Smith) |
Although the
land that became Sunrise Park was reserved in Waynesburg’s original plan of
1796, it was not developed as a park until 100 years later. In 1909, a fountain
was added, making the park even more beautiful. In the center was a 5-foot tall
statue of a woman holding a pitcher over her head from which water flowed. Today,
the fountain is gone and the location of the statue is unknown.
