Sheldon
Fox was an early promoter of the Cedar Falls Mills Company.
He came to the community in the 1850s and helped build the
first mill on East 2nd Street. In addition to his milling
interests, he also financed long- term loans following the
Civil War, when such loans were difficult to obtain locally.
Fox built this
house in 1863 at the age of 43. The date is inscribed in
stone above the front door. It was built in the Italianate
style, though later modifications have altered its original
appearance considerably. The porch has been removed, as
has the belvedere that once sat atop the Tuscan roof.
Inside, the
rooms retain their 14-foot ceilings. The wall between two
bedrooms has been removed to make a meeting hall for the
present owners, the I.O.O.F. The kitchen area has also been
drastically remodeled; and the open, winding front stairway
has been replaced.
The Fox House
knew tragedy as well as prosperity. Fox's widow, Amy Burr
Fox, died at age 96 in 1916 during a violent epidemic. Her
daughters Mary and Ella died on the same day of the same
illness. |