Fox Park Italianate Row

This row house in Fox Park along Russell Boulevard was built in 1887, at the time when flat roof houses had just recently replaced the pitched roof design. Located to the southwest of Lafayette Square, and northwest of Benton Park, the Fox Park neighborhood was first developed at its northern and southern edges in the 1870s and 1880s, with the inside parts of the neighborhood coming later in the 1890s and 1900s. The houses built along Russell were very similar in style to the middle class houses in Lafayette Square, and featured similar Second Empire and Italianate style designs. This particular house was designed in the Italianate style, but due to its construction in the mid 1880s, it featured a flat roof, as a result of the changes in gutter and runoff technology, as well as the desire to utilize more space in the upper floor of the house. The neighborhood saw developments into the early 20th century, and it was used by working class German residents into the late 20th century, before experiencing a decline. The time frame for the revitalization of Fox Park is more similar to that of Benton Park, as it had little revitalization until the mid 2000s. Today, the area along Russell is once again similar to the middle class housing in Lafayette Square, with its restored Second Empire and Italianate architecture from the 1870s and 1880s.