James A. Beck House, Historic residence in Fairfield, Iowa, US.

The James A. Beck House is a 2½-story frame residence on a stone foundation, built in 1896 from a customized mail-order plan by George F. Barber & Co. Its irregular Queen Anne massing is unified by Stick Style framing that divides the clapboarding into rectangular panels. A polygonal turret rises from the second floor over the front veranda, crowned by a domical roof of imbricated shingles and enclosing a game room in the attic.

The house was built in 1896 for James A. Beck, a man who made his fortune starting in the grocery business and later became successful in the hotel industry. The design came from George Franklin Barber, a respected architect whose office was based in Tennessee.

The house reflects the tastes of prosperous late 19th-century residents who sought out designs from prominent national architectural firms. The choice to hire a respected southern architecture office shows how local builders connected with national design trends.

The building is situated on East Burlington Avenue and is easily visible from the street as you walk through the neighborhood. Its location provides good viewing opportunities since the property sits within an established residential area.

The carriage house behind the main house faces North D Street and keeps its original horse stalls and feeders on the lower level, plus a small room that appears to have housed a caretaker. Its upper haymow has stained glass windows. Owners found a May 1895 Fairfield Ledger report that Beck built the barn and carriage house in 1895, which conflicts with the 1875 date in the National Register nomination.