In an effort to popularize and promote the use of concrete in residential construction, a now-obscure booklet was published by the Portland Cement Association’s Des Moines, Iowa, chapter sometime around 1940. Simply titled Iowa Concrete Houses, this little gem of a book features not only photographs of houses built in Iowa of concrete, but includes floor plans as well. While most of the houses featured are distinctly modern in style, a few traditional styles are included. Thankfully this booklet survives for all to enjoy on archive.org, the valiant guardian of much historic printed material.
The publication includes designs by a variety of architects practicing in Iowa at the time. Since locations are given, I thought it would be fun to take a look via Google Street View to see how these futuristic designs had fared over the past eighty-odd years! As you can imagine, their fates have been varied. Most of the houses can be classified as Streamline Moderne or Art Deco; these designs seem to have been less respected. The more traditional designs have been maintained very well.
Let’s go to Iowa!
Though atypical of the style, this Art Moderne house sported a low hipped roof from the very beginning, perhaps a nod to the concurrently fashionable Hollywood Regency style or perhaps merely practical given Iowa winters. Steel factory sash casements appear to have been painted white like the concrete block walls.
The house appears to be little-changed (aside from paint colors) in this 2013 Street View capture. It also appears to be empty. The striking and vertical glass block window seen in the historic image is here largely obscured by a tree.
This place has a rather monumental feel to it! Note the stepped recess of the entry and the diamond pattern on the door adjacent to the garage, both nice period details. Great use of glass block here, too!
Have the glass block windows been damaged here? I really can’t tell. The house appears to have otherwise come through time relatively unscathed.
This is the only traditional design in the booklet which did not fare well…
The site today.
A concrete block duplex!
Though the original metal casements have been replaced with vinyl windows and the block has been stuccoed over, the delightful zig-zag coping has survived! I actually like the stucco better than the block… painted block doesn’t ever seem to age very well.
This little house has a playful and fun exterior… I like it a lot! Especially the “dancing” diamonds on the garage door!
Sigh. The green cube in the yard adds insult to injury.
Not a real warm exterior, but interesting. I like the window sash on these houses much better when it is painted a dark color rather than white.
The house seems to have experienced numerous alterations and additions over the years (including a second story), yet somehow avoided gaining a hipped roof!
This rather non-descript house was completely transformed in later years by a new roof…
Ta-da! Same house, but now it looks like a 1930’s Craftsman bungalow! Even the curved sidewalk survives.
As the most dramatic house in the booklet, this one had me most curious about its fate. Note the huge “Sun Room” on the floor plan. Imagine how memorable that must have been to enter for the first time as a guest!
I’m not sure exactly what happened to the exterior here, but it is safe to say that the house has changed somewhat since built. Many of the windows appear to have been changed. This side of the house, the front, is not shown in the historic photo above (the sun room is at the back of the house).
The low walls add interest to an otherwise stark exterior.
A hipped roof and covered entry serve to “normalize” what had been an overtly modernistic design.
If any house ever screamed “mid-1930’s”, it’s this one.
It’s not screaming anymore! A clumsy garage extension detracts from the Moderne styling of the house, as does the loss of original window sash.
Small, but big on attitude! And who doesn’t love a roof terrace?
Hmmmm. A storage shed shaped like a miniature barn now occupies the site. The driveway, and garage floor, are all that remain of the original house.
Whoa! This Tudor mansion is built of concrete? Apparently so! Note that even though the house was less than twenty years old when photographed, ivy had already climbed to the top of the very steep roof!
I was not surprised to find this house loved and beautifully maintained today.
Any house with a solarium is OK by me! Only two bedrooms!
Exterior changes include a new room above the solarium and exterior siding resembling clapboards.
Even when new, the mortar joints of the concrete block walls were highly visible.
This house has changed little compared to many of the others featured in the booklet.
Brick has been used here for window sills and under the roofline.
Aside from a change in paint colors, the house looks much as it did when built. The current owner has restored the original clay tile roof!
Built in 1939, this house in Spencer, Iowa, has a sign in the yard which reads “House of Tomorrow”.
This one is stunning today! Aside from the unfortunate roof repair visible at the second story, from this perspective the house appears to remain true to its original intent. Photo by Jimmy Emmerson, DVM. Photo source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/auvet/40048275920/in/photostream/
Perhaps more of a marketing strategy than a guarantee of never catching fire? It would be interesting to know just how safe from fire these houses actually are. Metal roofs are certainly more fire-resistant than those clad in wood. I’d be willing to bet that California has its share of concrete houses, too. Now I’m curious!
Thank you for sharing that link! The surviving original features are quite nice and really fit the modernistic vibe of the house. The boxy light fixture at the bay window seems a bit large for its space; I wonder if that was in the dining room originally? I’d like to know what the original kitchen (and master bath) looked like before being updated. I love the extensive use of glass block and all the original windows… thanks again for the opportunity to peek inside!
Those are some interesting places, especially for conservative Iowa. Thanks for sharing!
There are just a couple Art Moderne homes here in Aurora, and a few more concrete block homes built in more traditional styles (mostly Foursquare or similar). Some of them look rather sharp with decorative-face block, while a few look pretty poor with just plain construction block.
The variety of decorative concrete block patterns that were available around 1900 is kind of astounding… so much more interesting than smooth-faced block! Here’s a link to an Old House Journal article from 1984 (before OHJ sold out and got all slick and glossy) which looks at the history of this still-unappreciated material.
Love it! Especially the iron porch supports (which, since not seen in the 2012 Street View, appear to be a restoration effort). I do appreciate an architecturally diverse neighborhood!
I thought I had shared it previously, but here is a substantial concrete-block house back in our old neighborhood in Omaha that I remember well. It’s one of the largest and most lavish block houses I can recall seeing in person.
Both great examples! Fortunately, concrete block gains patina as it ages and looks better with time (when not painted). Here is my favorite example of a concrete house in Omaha from the Moderne/Deco era:
I remember this house from when it was more intact (steel casement windows and no shutters) and still painted in the original white. Still impressive despite the changes.
Random late follow-up, but a friend of mine just moved to NW Indiana, and in poking around online, I discovered these. I’m excited to see them in person when I’m able to visit.
I just started a siding project on my 1937 house in Des Moines, IA. They removed a layer of aluminum and then started to remove an old layer of wood siding. Under the wood siding is concrete blocks all the way up!
My nextdoor neighbors house is smooth concrete like in the pamphlet.
Two of the houses in that pamphlet are within a few blocks of me!
I haven’t seen anything like the concrete blocks on my house. They look like unfinished concrete blocks, not decorative, not smooth, lots of seams. Pictures of my house and the concrete blocks are in my Facebook post here: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10109211476938340&id=16915801
I own the Creston Ave. home. Believe it or not the roof is actually clay tile and is original to the home. It weighs a ton! We had the entire thing removed a few years ago to replace the wood underneath and then had it put back on. It’s such a cool home!
Wow! I can see that now; thanks for pointing it out. Thanks also for taking the time, trouble and expense to restore the original roof. I wish all owners of historic houses were as dedicated!
We were lucky and had a contractor who has worked on them for years. He was able to source some replacement tile for us from another property where it was torn off.
Changes to the original floorplan include enclosing the one-car garage which has been converted into the kitchen. The old kitchen now acts as a back hallway with an exterior exit where the window was. The closet has been enlarged and a half-bath was added to the right of the closet. There’s also a large family room addition off of the living room on the floor plan. We use the original living room as a large formal dining room and the original dining room as a den. There’s a large finished room in the basement below the original living room which has an additional fireplace.
We’ve been in it for 10 years now and still love it. We’re lucky that it’s not had wackadoo additions/changes made. They really all make a lot of sense.
My husband and I owned a concrete block house in Bloomfield Hills Township, Michigan for twenty years. It was an architectural masterpiece with two bedrooms off an upstairs loft, approximately 20’ ceiling in the living room which had a stone surround on a fireplace that was large enough to walk into. There was a maid quarters in the walk out basement.
It had custom iron railings and a Venetian glass chandelier in the living room. It also had the old metal factory windows which were an absolute nightmare with winter freeze and thaw periods. You could sit on a deck at the rear of the house and almost watch the glazing pop out come spring! It was the most magnificent home I ever owned. Few people appreciated the mastery of the home. Fortunately my husband and I did.
Now that’s a winner! The brick cladding is a bit unusual for the genre, but I like it here. The interior is a real treat; what are the odds that anyone in Rock Island will be a great and conscientious steward of this time capsule? Hmmm….. Thanks for sharing this gem!
Perhaps we ought to back to these house plans for the building of new homes here in Southern California where “fire safe” is very very desirable!
Perhaps more of a marketing strategy than a guarantee of never catching fire? It would be interesting to know just how safe from fire these houses actually are. Metal roofs are certainly more fire-resistant than those clad in wood. I’d be willing to bet that California has its share of concrete houses, too. Now I’m curious!
One of these beauties just sold in Des Moines, Iowa, if you care to peruse an interior. 1938 is the year on this one.
https://www.zillow.com/homes/5003-Harwood-Dr-Des-Moines,-IA,-50312_rb/793596_zpid/
Thank you for sharing that link! The surviving original features are quite nice and really fit the modernistic vibe of the house. The boxy light fixture at the bay window seems a bit large for its space; I wonder if that was in the dining room originally? I’d like to know what the original kitchen (and master bath) looked like before being updated. I love the extensive use of glass block and all the original windows… thanks again for the opportunity to peek inside!
A lot of non-traditional houses built in Iowa!
Very true! The Spaceship House in suburban Des Moines is newer, but a fun example of a long tradition in thinking outside the box!
Those are some interesting places, especially for conservative Iowa. Thanks for sharing!
There are just a couple Art Moderne homes here in Aurora, and a few more concrete block homes built in more traditional styles (mostly Foursquare or similar). Some of them look rather sharp with decorative-face block, while a few look pretty poor with just plain construction block.
The variety of decorative concrete block patterns that were available around 1900 is kind of astounding… so much more interesting than smooth-faced block! Here’s a link to an Old House Journal article from 1984 (before OHJ sold out and got all slick and glossy) which looks at the history of this still-unappreciated material.
Here is one of the Moderne houses here in Aurora, complete with matching garage:
https://www.aurora-il.org/469/2-Doetschman-House-1934
https://www.google.com/maps/place/731+Oak+Ave,+Aurora,+IL+60506/@41.7719603,-88.3169121,3a,69.2y,116.81h,104.23t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s6t7Breb4MkXB56BED7pUeA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!4m5!3m4!1s0x880efac91fda9d97:0xeb0d01266fc395a3!8m2!3d41.7718534!4d-88.3165849
Love it! Especially the iron porch supports (which, since not seen in the 2012 Street View, appear to be a restoration effort). I do appreciate an architecturally diverse neighborhood!
I thought I had shared it previously, but here is a substantial concrete-block house back in our old neighborhood in Omaha that I remember well. It’s one of the largest and most lavish block houses I can recall seeing in person.
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.2461837,-95.9614051,3a,34.6y,250.35h,98.16t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sXgV04dwjbTe5lwnlFps4cQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
And this is a comparatively-plain one here in Aurora. It looks especially drab in person, with the discoloration and plan, flat blocks.
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.7703313,-88.3182245,3a,23.7y,236.51h,95.32t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqpIHT0tNW78tXyN2BLnabg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
Both great examples! Fortunately, concrete block gains patina as it ages and looks better with time (when not painted). Here is my favorite example of a concrete house in Omaha from the Moderne/Deco era:
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.2795441,-95.9962328,3a,37.5y,114.41h,91.35t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sQ3A21zNnmcH5GX0ZFcj52A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
I remember this house from when it was more intact (steel casement windows and no shutters) and still painted in the original white. Still impressive despite the changes.
Random late follow-up, but a friend of mine just moved to NW Indiana, and in poking around online, I discovered these. I’m excited to see them in person when I’m able to visit.
https://www.indianalandmarks.org/2016/09/century-of-progress-homes-indiana/
Great houses — thanks for sharing them! And what a cool back-story behind them… hope you can visit them!
I just started a siding project on my 1937 house in Des Moines, IA. They removed a layer of aluminum and then started to remove an old layer of wood siding. Under the wood siding is concrete blocks all the way up!
My nextdoor neighbors house is smooth concrete like in the pamphlet.
Two of the houses in that pamphlet are within a few blocks of me!
I haven’t seen anything like the concrete blocks on my house. They look like unfinished concrete blocks, not decorative, not smooth, lots of seams. Pictures of my house and the concrete blocks are in my Facebook post here:
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10109211476938340&id=16915801
You just never know what is lurking behind the visible finishes of an old house! hope your future projects are less stressful and more fun.
I own the Creston Ave. home. Believe it or not the roof is actually clay tile and is original to the home. It weighs a ton! We had the entire thing removed a few years ago to replace the wood underneath and then had it put back on. It’s such a cool home!
Wow! I can see that now; thanks for pointing it out. Thanks also for taking the time, trouble and expense to restore the original roof. I wish all owners of historic houses were as dedicated!
We were lucky and had a contractor who has worked on them for years. He was able to source some replacement tile for us from another property where it was torn off.
Changes to the original floorplan include enclosing the one-car garage which has been converted into the kitchen. The old kitchen now acts as a back hallway with an exterior exit where the window was. The closet has been enlarged and a half-bath was added to the right of the closet. There’s also a large family room addition off of the living room on the floor plan. We use the original living room as a large formal dining room and the original dining room as a den. There’s a large finished room in the basement below the original living room which has an additional fireplace.
We’ve been in it for 10 years now and still love it. We’re lucky that it’s not had wackadoo additions/changes made. They really all make a lot of sense.
My husband and I owned a concrete block house in Bloomfield Hills Township, Michigan for twenty years. It was an architectural masterpiece with two bedrooms off an upstairs loft, approximately 20’ ceiling in the living room which had a stone surround on a fireplace that was large enough to walk into. There was a maid quarters in the walk out basement.
It had custom iron railings and a Venetian glass chandelier in the living room. It also had the old metal factory windows which were an absolute nightmare with winter freeze and thaw periods. You could sit on a deck at the rear of the house and almost watch the glazing pop out come spring! It was the most magnificent home I ever owned. Few people appreciated the mastery of the home. Fortunately my husband and I did.
Another worthy concrete home example, with a somewhat unusual exterior, is 2929 22nd Ave. Rock Island, IL which is adjacent to Iowa just over the state line near Davenport. https://www.richbassford.com/property-search/detail/362/QC4254672/2929-22nd-ave-rock-island-il-61201/
Now that’s a winner! The brick cladding is a bit unusual for the genre, but I like it here. The interior is a real treat; what are the odds that anyone in Rock Island will be a great and conscientious steward of this time capsule? Hmmm….. Thanks for sharing this gem!