1209 W. Wayne

Forest & Flora Gauntt House

1905, Queen Anne / Colonial Revival

2400 sq ft

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This brick Queen Anne/Colonial Revival house was built circa 1905 on land where the Fort Wayne College once stood. Displaying a skillful combination of various architectural details, the house features modillions under the front eaves and a classic Palladian window highlighting the front gable. Two-story bay windows are present on three sides of the house. The full-width front porch, supported by smooth, round columns in singles and in pairs, has a turned spindle balustrade and dentil molding along the cornice. Flanked by sidelights and topped with a fanlight, the large front door provides a grand entrance to the main foyer of the house.

The home's first residents, Forest and Flora Gauntt, lived in this house until 1910 and later lived at 1221 W. Wayne Street, just a few doors down. While living here, Forest became the president of the Gauntt Manufacturing Company and received a Patent Certificate in 1910 for a feeding device.

Fort Wayne natives Charles and Emma Gumpper lived here from 1910 to 1933. In 1910, Charles helped to organize the Grace Construction Company for which he served as president. The company installed asphalt and other street pavings throughout Fort Wayne. In 1917, the company employed 250 people and was considered to be "one of the strong and important industrial concerns of the Summit City."

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