Cast concrete block was an exciting new technology in the 1900s. While critics labeled it “cheap and vulgar,” builders and homeowners embraced it as a “substantial and beautiful substitute for stone.” Durable, affordable, and simple to manufacture, the material—virtually unheard of in 1900—was widely used by 1906, when Forsyth mason Carson Conn began producing concrete blocks in a variety of finishes. Nationally, cast concrete brought architectural ornamentation within financial reach of the masses. In Forsyth, however, this elegant “free classic” Queen Anne house is one of the few to feature the decorative substitute. In typical Queen Anne style, the 1908 home boasts a variety of surface shapes and textures, while its classical front porch columns and hipped roof suggest a Colonial Revival influence. E. A. and Lillian Richardson, for whom the house was built, moved to Forsyth from Crow Agency in 1907 to take advantage of the booming homestead economy. Richardson first opened his Forsyth store in 1903; under his watchful eye, it grew into the city’s largest department store.
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