Stacks Image 779
Stacks Image 781
12. Horatio Kelsey House, c. 1886 – 98 High Street
Stick Style
Stacks Image 601
This building is a one-and-a-half-story frame residence with wood corner and barge boards, embellished wood roof trusses, front-facing gable roof, central red-brick masonry chimney, one-and-a-half-story cross-gable wings on the north and south (side) elevations, and a one story full-width front porch. The crossgable blocks each have front-facing cross gables and central red-brick masonry chimneys. The northern block has a one story ell with pitched roof on the west (rear) elevation. Fenestration throughout consists of two-over-two double-hung sash with simple frame surrounds. The
front porch has bracketed turned supports, shed roof, and a pedimented cross gable over the entry. The building is primarily sheathed in horizontal board siding, however, the porch ends and gable tympanum are sheathed in patterned wood shingles.

This house is architecturally significant as a well-preserved example of a Stick style residence. An identifying detail of the style was the decorative roof trusses found in the front-facing and cross-gable ends. Although built c. 1886, this section of Clinton was not mapped by the Sanborn Company until 1941, however, the home is present on the site on an aerial photograph from 1934. By 1930, the Federal Census listed the residence as that of 81-year old Horatio Kelsey, who was unemployed. Horatio Kelsey came to Clinton from Killingworth around 1880 after forming a partnership to fabricate wagon spokes and other turned wood products with a resident of that town by the name of William Harris. Kelsey and Harris purchased the old “Spring Shop, ” home to a succession of industries, ranging from the production of wagon springs and axles to the manufacture of axe and pick axe handles, in the mill located just east of High Street along Glenwood Road. Under the name of H. Kelsey Company, Inc., the new owners improved the factory and operated it through World War One, at which time it was noted as being one of the busiest in town.