Transformation

Transformation

It's been more than two years since an intriguing San Francisco house built in the Stick style was posted on Old House Dreams. Though in deteriorated condition, the house retained many beautiful and historic features (typical of quality houses built in the 1870's and...

The War On Old Buildings – Part 3

The War On Old Buildings – Part 3

Now entering its terminal stage, the cancerous war on historic structures continues its relentless advance. The number of old buildings which have already been forever lost is mind-numbing and there is no end in sight. The accelerated removal of our historic...

Our Ever-changing Orwellian World

Our Ever-changing Orwellian World

As a rule of thumb, people don’t blog because they hate it; they blog because they enjoy it! I used to love blogging and sharing my passion for history and quirky architecture with others… historic architecture has always been my passion; I can’t remember a time when...

Inside Bruce Goff’s Adams House

Inside Bruce Goff’s Adams House

Currently listed on Zillow yet scheduled to be auctioned on May 12, 2023, the twelve-sided Adams house in Vinita, Oklahoma, remains surprisingly intact thanks to the fact that it has been in the same family for the past 56 years. Vinita judge John Quincy Adams...

Beyond Creepy:  The Georgia Guidestones

Beyond Creepy: The Georgia Guidestones

In recent years we've looked at the stone carver's art as Halloween approaches -- both tombstones and mausoleums. This year we'll look at something much, much, creepier... Just over forty years ago, a large monument comprised of giant granite slabs was erected in a...

Random Observations – Part 16

Random Observations – Part 16

It's that time of year again... time for the 16th annual Highway 36 “Treasure Hunt”, a three-day flea market which stretches across the northernmost tier of Kansas counties.  Fortunately we didn't find much to haul home this year, but I did take my camera along...

Mausoleums:  Architecture for the Dead

Mausoleums: Architecture for the Dead

Happy Halloween, everyone! Today, in observation of just about everyone's favorite holiday, we'll take a look at a very special architectural form. People have long interred the dead above ground, and for a variety of reasons. Some locations with high water tables are...

Random Observations – Part 15

Random Observations – Part 15

There has not been much downtime recently, and today I found myself with a whole two hours to kill! Jim had his second cataract surgery earlier today (and, yes, it went well... just like the first one). He was a little woozy coming out of it, but is fine and resting...

Inspired Design:  A Vision Takes Form

Inspired Design: A Vision Takes Form

Recently I attended a birthday party for a retired friend -- the location of which was his outdoor entertaining area. A multi-year construction project, the site is now nearing completion. Built entirely from scrap or otherwise salvaged items, the structures there...

The Odd Blue Doors Explained…

The Odd Blue Doors Explained…

Much like porch alterations, replacement doors have the ability to change the way a house looks or is perceived. Unfortunately, most people just buy what they like and give little thought to maintaining the architectural integrity of the exterior when purchasing a new...

A Visit to the Cottonwood Ranch

A Visit to the Cottonwood Ranch

Built in three stages beginning in 1885, the house at Cottonwood Ranch in Studley, Kansas, reflects not only the place and time in which it was built, but incorporates some traditions of builder John Fenton Pratt's native Yorkshire, England, as well. The center...

The War On Old Buildings – Part 2

The War On Old Buildings – Part 2

The ongoing war against the remnants of our historic built environment continues unabated. Our previous examination of this topic (Part 1) dealt with elementary school textbooks which propagandized children and instilled a bias against historic buildings in the...

“Reading” an Old House

“Reading” an Old House

Most old houses have had alterations over the years -- very few come down through time just as they were built. Unless a house was altered with an extreme attention to maintaining details, it is usually possible to get a fairly good idea as to what the house looked...

Door Hardware, Part Two: 1850 to 1900

Door Hardware, Part Two: 1850 to 1900

In Part One we looked at some types of door hardware which were common prior to the mid-nineteenth century -- latches and rim locks made of iron. While mortise locks were in use, they were not common. Surface-mounted rim locks remained popular in the latter half of...

Auction Action – Part 3

Auction Action – Part 3

This past weekend I attended an annual consignment auction hosted by the Lions Clubs. As usual, there were a few things of architectural or design interest. I didn't buy anything this year because the few things I wanted to bid on were not going to be offered until...

Awkward Alterations, Part Two

Awkward Alterations, Part Two

Today we'll look at two different types of alterations which can negatively impact how we perceive a structure. Sadly, the following examples are fairly tame... there are countless others which are far worse. The first category, Indifference, will highlight houses...

The Piano Nobile

The Piano Nobile

Have you ever thought that some older buildings seem to be oddly proportioned -- perhaps a bit top-heavy? Often there is nothing wrong with their proportions; the problem may instead be with our modern perception of what a building's exterior should look like (and how...

Door Hardware, Part One:  1800 to 1850

Door Hardware, Part One: 1800 to 1850

Door hardware, like other architectural details, can often help to guestimate the age of the house when its history is unknown. However, this method is only reliable when it is known with certainty that the hardware in question is original to the house. Hardware, like...

The Johnson House by Charles Haertling

The Johnson House by Charles Haertling

One of architect Charles Haertling's many fascinating contributions to the city of Boulder, Colorado, is currently on the market allowing a peek inside this interesting house. Known for their frequent mix of modernism and organic architecture, his designs are highly...

Queen Anne Window Sash

Queen Anne Window Sash

The impact original window sash can have in an historic building in terms of enhancing and maintaining architectural integrity is enormous yet frequently undervalued.  In addition to the shape and size of the window openings themselves,...

Inside a 1952 Time Capsule House

Inside a 1952 Time Capsule House

Who doesn't love a good time capsule?  This one, built in 1952 in Gladewater, Texas, has been on Zillow for about 10 days and is already generating lots of interest online; I ran across it when a reader shared it on the always mesmerizing Old House Dreams.  While not...

An Art Deco Facade by S. S. Voigt

An Art Deco Facade by S. S. Voigt

Dominated by large steel windows filled with green slag glass, this Masonic Temple in Oberlin, Kansas, was built in 1931.  The buff brick facade is elaborated with glazed terra cotta ornament which enhances the Art Deco styling of the building.  Although the ground...