Norton, John H., and Company Store
About this property
The John H. Norton and Company Store is an historic structure in Willcox, Arizona, United States. Built circa 1880, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The Willcox Commercial Company building, built c. 1880, is a large (84' x 100') single story adobe commercial structure with a two-story dwelling (20' x 60') incorporated into the rear. It faces southeast on Railroad Avenue in Willcox. Railroad Avenue is parallel with the Southern Pacific Railroad track alignment and historically was the focus of commercial life in Willcox. That focus has since shifted, but the Willcox Commercial Company is one of the major resources of the locally designated Railroad Avenue Historic District. The present configuration of the Willcox Commercial Company is the result of an early evolutionary adaptive process. The 20'x100' center section was constructed first, c. 1880. The north 40' x 100' section was then added sometime before 1900, and the south 24' x 80' section was built last, c. 1920. The original ornate pressed metal storefront above the display windows was removed in the early 1920s and replaced with rusticated metal panels. The awning was also lowered at that time. The main section of the facade features a continuous commercial storefront with three bay-wide display windows and transoms flanking a recessed central entry bay. Continuing to the south, two additional storefronts extend the facade to its full width. A stepped parapet wall finished with rusticated pressed metal rises above the display windows, and a flat awning supported by struts and posts projects from this surface. A vestige of the original boomtown facade remains, forming the appearance of the second story. The north elevation has five windows situated below the eave line and a water table extends the full length of the building. Quoins articulate the northeast corner. The west (rear) elevation features a two-story residential section approximately 20' x 60', surmounted by a gable roof. Openings include paired entry doors and flanking windows below and large paired one-over-one double hung windows above. The remainder of this elevation is one story with typical openings for rear access. The south elevation is hidden by an adjacent commercial building. The gable roof is finished with corrugated tin panels. The ridge is situated over the center of the north section and slopes over the center and south sections of the building, Skylights, now covered over, were originally found near the rear of the center section, north section, and on the two story living area to the rear. The interior of the Willcox Commercial Company reflects both its evolutionary additive character and its commercial use. The large volume is divided into two bays with the dividing wall exhibiting an early smaller opening and one larger opening made in 1972. The floors are finished throughout with hardwood, and the ceiling in each of the three sections is finished with pressed metal in different patterns. The ceiling of the north bay is insulated with a thick layer of dirt, a method not uncommon to early construction in Arizona.
Location
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Norton, John H., and Company Store listed on the National Register?
Norton, John H., and Company Store was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 30, 1983.
What type of historic resource is Norton, John H., and Company Store?
Norton, John H., and Company Store is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Norton, John H., and Company Store?
The period of significance for Norton, John H., and Company Store is recorded as the industrial era.
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Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Norton, John H., and Company Store will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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