544 E Sherman Ave, Hutchinson, KS 67501

Located in the "Historic" Houston Whiteside District, this house is considered a local landmark, and a key contributing structure to the district. It is designated as the Fontron-French house. Fontron from Louis and Mary Fontron. Louis was Mayor of Hutchinson in 1913, Secretary of the Hutchinson Building & Loan Association in 1908, and the first President of the American Red Cross when the Hutchinson chapter was organized in 1917. French from Fred and Belle French, Fred French became President of the First National Bank in 1935. Architectural Description - This large, two-story Shingle style house wood frame has features typical of the style, including wood shingled wall cladding, asymmetrical facade with irregular, steeply pitched roof lines, intersecting cross gables, and multi-level eaves. The front gables feature decorative beams under the eaves; one roof plane flares over the east side, where there may have been open porches at one time. There are single, paired, and grouped windows, some in oriels. The centered front entry features a barrel-roof awning with parapet edge. The multi-paned door is flanked by sidelights. A one-and-a-half story, two car, Shingle style contributing garage with side gable roof is located to the rear. The garage windows are multi-paned, and the south eaves overhang on this elevation, and feature triangular knee brackets at the corners. (Information provided by the Hutchinson City Planner in 2012)