1202 W. Wayne Street

The Castle Gallery

1905, Richardsonian Romanesque

Tap the "play audio" button above to listen to the audio recording of this text. Swipe to see more photos and tap to enlarge.

The local architectural firm of Wing & Mahurin designed this Richardsonian Romanesque house in 1905. The house exhibits massive stone construction, a prominent round tower, and crenelated parapet. The open front terrace originally was covered by a tile roof that matched that of the house. Boston architect Henry Hobson Richardson (1836-1886) developed this style in the 1870s combining heavy masonry and prominent arches. They usually have rough-faced stonework, often in contrasting colors. Wide rounded arches supported by short, squat columns are characteristic of the style.

The home’s first owner, B. Paul Mossman, was born in Coesse, IN in 1870 and came to Fort Wayne in 1879. He became associated with the Mossman-Yarnelle Company of Fort Wayne, wholesalers of heavy hardware. Donated by Mossman to the City of Fort Wayne in 1949, the house served as quarters for Fort Wayne’s art museum until 1983. Three apartments occupied the house from 1983 to 1995. Purchased by the current owners in 1993, they have done a great amount of restoration on the house which is now a single-family residence and home to the Castle Gallery. They even found a hidden staircase to the third floor.