Fountain Elms, Renaissance Revival house in Utica, New York.
Fountain Elms is a Renaissance Revival house in Utica with a symmetrical cubic form and ornate decorative details throughout. The building displays various architectural phases through wings and extensions added across different time periods.
The house was built in 1850 under the ownership of Helen Elizabeth Munson Williams and James Watson Williams. It later became part of an arts institute in 1936 and received recognition on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
The house served as a longtime residence for the wealthy Williams family and shaped the character of Utica's upscale neighborhoods. Its rooms tell the story of upper-class life in the 1800s and of a family deeply invested in art and learning.
The house sits at the intersection of Genesee Street and Cottage Place in central Utica. It is easily accessible on foot and operates today as part of an arts institute with regular visiting hours for guests.
The owners' family shaped the house across three generations, a history reflected in its architectural changes and additions. Today it houses collections of European Modernist and American paintings, completely transforming its original residential purpose.
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