In addition to its popular J-6 kit house, the Harris Brothers Company of Chicago offered a slightly larger version which it called the J-16. This upgraded version was two feet wider and two feet longer. I recently ran across this example of the house on Zillow – it’s in Laramie, Wyoming, and currently on the market. It’s noteworthy because unlike the previous J-6 houses I’ve posted about, this one does not appear to have been buried in some form of replacement siding! However, it did not escape unscathed; if not for its iconic and stubby turret, the numerous alterations to both exterior and interior would have made it virtually unrecognizable. First we’ll take a look at period advertising depicting the house as it was marketed. Then we’ll follow up with the realtor’s photos showing how this particular example of a J-16 looks today…
This is how the J-6 and J-16 were intended to look. An open porch spans the width of the house and the turret hovers above two bay windows. Image source: archive.org
The floor plan shows a cased opening between the living and dining rooms. There are no built-ins in the dining room. The staircase has a straight run. Image source: archive.org
The extra two feet of width of the J-16 allowed for the later addition of another window on the second floor; the original window appears to have been replaced with a door opening onto a new deck above a wider-than-full-width enclosed porch. A colorful sunburst design has been added above the attic window.
The side elevation looks a little more familiar. Note how the deck balustrade veers to avoid a window on the turret. Window headers have been connected by a continuous piece of trim which is not original to the house. Image source: zillow.com
At first glance, this woodwork appears to be old. It’s not, however; this photo depicts the new entry in the enclosed porch. Much of the woodwork in the house appears to have been recently made. Image source: zillow.com
The former living room has been re-purposed as a billiard room! A modern interpretation of a colonnade takes the place of the original cased opening. The bay window has received a seat. Image source: zillow.com
The floor plan shows a single window centered in the back wall of the dining room. Today, a built-in buffet of recent origin spans the wall. Image source: zillow.com
The staircase sports recently made box newels and balusters. It has also gained a landing and turn of the steps. The original front door and adjacent small window were once where a picture and doorbell are now. The existing door is a later alteration and leads onto the part of the enclosed porch which goes beyond the side of the house. Image source: zillow.com
View of the turret’s side from the rooftop deck. Image source: zillow.com
The attic has been finished out and includes more new woodwork inspired by early twentieth-century examples. Image source: the listing on zillow.com where even more images of this house may be seen!
whats that texas saying – too much hat, not enough cattle. hate the porch, carpeted stairs, comm woodwork but most of all that stupid octagon window that re-storers think looks Victorian. maybe you’ll get lucky and they’ll sell the church and buy this.
i really like how the original design added a tower without really adding a tower. oh, new window seat is nice and added cabinet is not all bad but unless old trim was totally trashed which is unlikely why replace it with that mass produced crap.
ps -and in a house that is really not a very big house, why not put the pool table upstairs instead of losing the only lounging room on the first floor. maybe he’s a pro pool shark but i doubt it. seems a shame to lose a whole room to a one purpose rarely used item and a pool table limits seating especially in a fairly small room as you need all the room to take shots.
The need for clear space (no furnishings) around a pool table is possibly what led to the new window seat. This use probably could not have been accommodated as easily in the living room of the smaller J-6!