Barrois House

Barrois House was built by George M. Snodgrass on property he bought in 1899 from Mrs. Martha T. Greig. It was once a part of the large plantation holdings of Charles Mouton. Mr. Snodgrass moved from Corning, Iowa with his wife and one son. He built the house by himself in under 3 years. During that time, he and his family lived in the barn, which they had also built themselves. Snodgrass then exchanged the 3 acres on which this house was built for a piece of land on North Pierce Street, located in what was then, an upscale residential neighborhood, Mills Addition. The 3 acres then became Snodgrass Addition subdivision. Barrois House is a fine example of Queen Anne Victorian architecture. The ornate Queen Anne style was made possible by industrial era technical advancements in millwork production. For the first time, was possible to produce turned wood and other wooden architectural elements at low cost and in high volume. These advancements enabled middle-income families to afford the embellishments and adornments which were previously only afforded by homes of the wealthy. The grand scale of the Barrois House is impressive but not uncommon for the time when it was built.