Judge Cyrus Ball House, Second Empire residence in Lafayette, United States.
The Judge Cyrus Ball House is a Second Empire style residence featuring a three-story mansard roof with a prominent entrance tower, intricate wood details, and a limestone foundation on South Ninth Street. The property includes a two-story carriage house with Tudor-arched doors and is part of the Ninth Street Hill Neighborhood Historic District.
Built between 1868 and 1869, the residence belonged to Cyrus Ball, who served as Justice of the Peace and influenced Lafayette's railroad development. Its construction during this period reflected the town's growing prosperity from railroad expansion.
The interior displays original marble fireplaces and nineteenth-century portraits of the Ball family painted by local artist George Winter. These elements reveal how a prominent Lafayette family lived during that era.
The residence is located on South Ninth Street within the historic district and can be viewed from outside. Walking through the neighborhood offers the best way to see the building and its carriage house together.
Construction records show that slate roofing material was transported by railroad from Buffalo, New York, a significant detail reflecting the building's premium quality. This sourcing from such a distance underscores how important materials traveled during the 1860s expansion era.
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