Fowler in Benton County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Fraser & Isham Law Office
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 9, 2023
1. Fraser & Isham Law Office Marker
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
1895
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Architecture. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1895.
Location. 40° 37.054′ N, 87° 19.233′ W. Marker is in Fowler, Indiana, in Benton County. It is on East 5th Street east of Madison Avenue, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 306 E 5th St, Fowler IN 47944, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Indiana’s Wabash Valley. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Vincent and Eileen Schwartz Parking Lot
this page online
Regarding Fraser & Isham Law Office. Excerpts from the National Register nomination:
An outstanding example of what may best be described as Victorian Romanesque style architecture, the building was designed by architect James F. Alexander in 1895 for Daniel Fraser and Wilham Isham, partners in the Fraser & Isham Law Office. Functionally, the building has served its original use continuously since its construction. Physically, it remains virtually unchanged from its tum-of-the-century appearance.
When a fire destroyed the law office of Fraser and Isham in May 1895, the partners also lost their law library and all their legal documents. The law firm hired James F. Alexander,a locally noted architect of the period, to design their new law office buildingPhotographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 9, 20232. Fraser & Isham Law Office Marker
Following Daniel Frasers death in 1927, Isham and his son, William (Bill) S. Isham, continued the practice under the old firm name of Fraser and Isham. The father-son practice lasted until 1940 when William Isham died. Bill Isham continued to run the law office as his father had, keeping everything intact but adding the rear addition. The younger Isham rose to prominence in the legal field and, like his fathers partner, served as president of the Indiana Bar. Bill Isham and Jim Gardner became partners in 1952 and the two practiced together until Ishams death in 1961. Gardner then ran the office himself with current owner, Richard Christopher, joining the practice in 1975. Gardner died in 1978 and Christopher has run and maintained the office himself since.
Also see . . .
1. Fraser & Isham Law Office (PDF). National Register nomination for the building, which was listed in 2000. (National Archives) (Submitted on August 20, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
2. Fraser and Isham Building. The Fraser and Isham Building at Fowler is a small but remarkably expressive urban law office designed by the prominent Lafayette firm of J. F. Alexander and Son. (Benjamin L. Ross, Society of Architectural Historians) (Submitted on August 20, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 20, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 20, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 212 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 20, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
