Williams House

Designed by the famous Wyoming architect, William Dubois, the Williams House vaguely suggests the work of the American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. The strong horizontal thrust of the wraparound porch, the broad, overhanging eaves, and the intricate brickwork are all found as primary design elements in Wright’s early “Prairie style” houses. In fact, though, the Williams House actually exemplifies the “Foursquare” style that was popular throughout America from about 1895, and through the 1930’s. Foursquare houses were generally twoand-a-half stories tall, had strong rectilinear configurations, low, gently-sloping roofs, full front porches, and were crowned with dominant, central dormers. Each of these characteristics is evident in the Williams House (as each was also, in the work of Wright)—making it a classic example of the Foursquare esthetic. William Dubois, the architect, was active in Wyoming throughout much of the first half of the 20th century. His practice, based in Cheyenne, produced not only residences but many major Wyoming government and commercial buildings as well, including county courthouses, several buildings on the University of Wyoming campus at Laramie, major additions to the state capitol, and, in Douglas, the Ashlar Lodge building, at North 4th and Walnut Street. Dubois designed another Douglas residential landmark, the Morton Mansion, at 5th and Center; while the Williams and Morton mansions differ markedly in their outward appearance, they were both designed and built in 1903. Its first owner, John T. Williams, enjoyed success in a string of various enterprises, including a livestock ranch, a dry goods store (at Fort Fetterman) and, in a partnership with William C. Irvine, the Oglalla Land and Cattle Company. Williams was also active in state and local politics, serving as a state senator and as the first elected sheriff of Converse County.