Waldorf House, Circa 1900

Waldorf House, Circa 1900

Location: 938 SW Oak Street


This house is important as an example of a turn-of-the-century building type and for its contribution to the historic character of the South Town area.  Alonzo Waldorf brought his family west to Oswego in 1894 from Iowa.  After their arrival they rented a house in South Oswego for a period before purchasing the Oak Street block for $700.  Alonzo

Waldorf is one of four carpenters credited with building many of the houses in Oswego at that time. The South Town area neighborhood is one of the earliest areas of residential development in Oswego. The house itself is an unusual and large two-and-one-half story Vernacular style dwelling.  It appears to have been constructed in two major phases.  The front half with its widely spaced, long double-hung sash windows is presumably the earliest portion. The clipped gable roof is also a feature frequently associated with this late 19th  century style.