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592 Central Avenue
Between 16th Street and Forest Avenue
2 beds, 2 baths, 1,400 SF on a 1,820 SF lot
Built, 1880
Last sold, 2020
Older than the town itself, this early Queen Anne combines several of that style’s trademarks, but what makes the home stand out is its warm, playful vibe. Victorian homes can sometimes feel stiff or formal but every unique feature here counters that.
The original owner, Margaret Elizabeth Dickinson Lawrey was a California pioneer and daughter of Judge Gallant Duncan Dickenson. According to Edwin Sherman of PG’s Daily Review (February 11, 1907):
In May, 1846, Mr. Dickenson and his family left Missouri via wagon train. Mr. Dickenson with 10 wagons was appointed captain of the wagon train which included the Donner party. The Donner party left when the group reached the divide in Utah, where a disagreement over the best route arose. The Donner party made their ill fated decision to take the Sierra route shortcut. Mr. Dickenson, his wife and 6 children arrived safely in the San Joaquin Valley in Oct. 1846.
Mr. Dickenson rose to prominence in California; he and Amos Lawrey, another pioneer, in 1847 built the first brick house (which is still standing) in California. In 1849, Dickenson was elected delegate to the first State Constitutional Convention and later that year appointed the first alcalde of Stockton. Dickenson built the first hotel in Stockton with material shipped around the Horn. Judge Dickenson died circa 1868 or 1870.
Lawrey courted Margaret Dickenson and they married in 1849, producing four children. After Lawrey’s death, Margaret retired to Pacific Grove, where she invested in real estate.
The house is painted yellow and covered in gold fish-scaled shingles rising up towards the home’s most distinctive feature: its upper gables, including the sunburst that caps the house’s front face:
The trim provides teal and purple contrast and the variety of bright colors just makes the house more fun. The colors soften the elaborate ornamentation, as does the homeowner’s yard and porch decorations.
Three Things I Love about the Home
1. The upper gable’s sunburst motif is a perfect capstone and one of my favorite local home features.
2. It’s not just the sunburst; the cross-gabled roofs provides more canvas for bright, colorful asymmetric features and the home deliver on every face; for example, here is the right side’s teal gable face with scroll-sawn fretwork, fish-scale shingles and rake molding.
3. The color scheme and the variety of colors really sets this house apart from its neighbors. PG Victorians frequently have a main color with two contrasting trim colors, frequently one neutral color. This home uses much more color to liven things up: yellow (house and fence), gold (shingles and the inner sunburst), teal (door, trim, porch) purple (door, trim and railing) and orange (the sunburst), including both yellow/purple and teal blue/orange contrasts.
