The striking composition of the Catlett House, a classic example of the American interpretation of the Queen Anne style, is one of a collection of sophisticated turn-of-the-20th century dwellings dotting the city of Staunton’s downtown neighborhoods. Completed in 1897 for Fannie Catlett, widow of local attorney R. H. Catlett, the house incorporates all the elements associated with the mode: a mixture of surface materials, asymmetrical floor plan, corner tower, gables, classical details, and a multiplicity of window types. Lending particular interest is the lavish use of wood shingle cladding, echoing the tile cladding of English vernacular buildings. Many of America’s Queen Anne houses have been neglected or disfigured; the Catlett House, by contrast, remains in an excellent state of preservation.  It contributes to the Gospel Hill Historic District.