Fountain House

201 Main Street
Until the 1880’s, Matawan’s houses were mostly rectangular shaped with straight front porches. The Queen Anne style brought turrets, projecting bays, wraparound porches, and a variety of shapes and patterns to residential buildings in the 1880’s and 1890’s. Nearby, at 196 Main Street, lumber merchant Francis P. Simpson updated his early 19th century home with the addition of a Queen Anne corner tower. The Fountain House, built in 1895, represents the “Free Classic” phase of the Colonial Revival. Its two-story portico and “basketweave” balcony enliven Main Street.