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At home in the historic Webster house

Wendy Huber
Correspondent
February 15, 2008

Jerry and Linda Baldwin feel fortunate to live in the Webster House, a one-and-a-half story Manito area historic home.

The house was built in 1918 by Southern judge Richard Webster and his wife, Florence, who stayed on after he died until her own death in 1970. The Baldwins are the fifth owners.

The Webster House is unique. When the Baldwins bought it in 2000, they hired a historic preservation consultant to try and classify its varied features.

“She came over and took a look at it and came up with a couple of different styles that it might be identified as,” says Linda. “The eight over twelve windows and the columns are Colonial Revival. The shape is vaguely Victorian. The side porch is something you see on homes in the South. We always called it a house of indeterminate style.”

The most notable feature is the original interior millwork. Ornate woodcarving encompasses the ceilings. A custom-built corner cupboard dons a “Bonnet top” design. Although the basic house frame cost just $4,000 when built, the overall expense reached nearly $30,000 with the additional cost of the elaborate woodwork, an exorbitant price in its day.

Another distinguishing feature is a master bedroom window shaped like the prow of a ship. With curved panes, and inward opening casement windows, the owners say only custom drapes are possible. Also original to the house are the fireplace, laundry chute, foyer staircase and white brick cellar walls.

The home is still on its initial footprint, with the granite of the foundation taken from the old South Central high school after it burned. The original front fence now lines the north and south sides of the house, but the iron fence at the back of the property has its own modern story.

“When they had an auction of the artifacts from the Davenport Hotel prior to its renovation we bought some ironwork that had been in some of the kiosks,” says Linda. “Now it screens the front part of the lawn from a defunct sports court out back.”

“You can still see the remaining (fence) in the flower shop of the Davenport,” says Jerry. “Not all of it is gone. So it matches with the flower shop.”

“So we have our own little piece of the Davenport here,” says Linda.

The house was in fairly good condition when the Baldwins moved in, except for the garden. In her later years Mrs. Webster was unable to properly maintain the yard, and subsequent owners were apparently overwhelmed. So the Baldwins had a lot of landscaping to do. They removed 13 pine trees, built a new walkway, cleared away dead shrubs, and put in a new lawn.

Inside they installed ceiling light fixtures, replaced wallpaper and added lights to deep closets, all in harmony with the historic style. Most of their furniture is old if not antique, acquired at auctions and antique stores. Previous owners remodeled the kitchen and upstairs bathroom, and added a deck.

“Mostly people have been very good to this house,” says Linda. “Nothing has been done to destroy the original character of the house, and I think most of the remodeling that has been done has been sympathetic to the period.”

Besides the exquisite millwork, their favorite feature is the house’s general graceful style, and that although compact, there is room enough for entertaining and big family dinners.

“A lot of people like the house and the way it looks, because it is unique,” says Jerry. “It’s not a mega mansion, by any stretch. But it’s one of the few places on the boulevard that actually has a full lot with it.”

The Baldwins never lived in a historic house before. Previous to moving to Spokane they lived in a 1970s contemporary home in Seattle. They plan to stay in the Webster House for as long as they’re able to care for it properly, hopefully another 10-15 years.

“It’s a comfortable family home,” smiles Linda. “It’s an old house for a not-so-old couple with old stuff.”

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