Demolition by Neglect
An astounding number of historic structures disappear each year simply because the owners have stopped caring for them. Known as "demolition by neglect", the phenomenon is on the rise. Recognizing that old buildings are instrumental in giving shape and character to...
Just for Fun…
Don't be alarmed; I won't be doing McMansions on a regular basis! But I saw this on Zillow.com and couldn't resist. I've taken the following nine photos from the listing there which really don't need any captions - they speak for themselves. So, I'll just number...
Radford’s Prairie House Plans
The William A. Radford Company of Chicago was one of the most recognized names in the plans-by-mail business in the early 20th century. Homes built from their plans can still be found in surprising numbers throughout the country. While perusing their Portfolio of...
Multiple Personalities
If dissociative identity disorders can afflict structures, this former Folk Victorian house appears to be symptomatic. The wood-framed structure has had several changes to its exterior since first constructed, likely in the 1890's. Portions of the house were clad...
1960’s Redesign of 1890’s Building
Probably built in the 1890's, the Merit Building in downtown McCook, Nebraska, went through a radical interior remodeling in the 1960's. The redesign converted the basement level into a mini-mall with numerous aluminum and glass storefronts. The ground floor...
Multi-Tasking with Concrete Block c. 1920
Taking advantage of a sloping lot, the builder of a c. 1920 bungalow achieved 3 goals simultaneously with concrete block: A garage A retaining wall A level lot There is a door at the back of the garage which opens to the adjacent sidewalk. A set of steps leads to...
Joined at the Hip
At first glance, this house appears to be a rather ordinary Craftsman style bungalow (aside from the 1960's iron porch supports, vinyl siding and plastic shutters, that is). However, appearances can be deceiving. This "bungalow" is actually an addition to a much...
Inside a Craftsman Bungalow
I happened upon this Craftsman-style bungalow a few days ago; the bright yellow facade initially caught my eye. The sides still display an earlier, less vibrant, color scheme. The new look, with its dark brown shingled gable, does a better job of emulating a period...
High Plains Modern
Modern design - as expressed in the mid-20th century - was never enthusiastically embraced in flyover country. Much of what little was built here has since been altered or destroyed. However, there are a few examples here and there which have managed to survive....
Architectural Trauma
Structures which read as disorderly or awkward compositions are often victims of remodeling projects in which the maintenance of architectural integrity was not a top priority. Exhibiting a form of architectural psychosis, such structures are increasingly...
A Late Example of Gothic Revival
Not platted until 1886, the town of Haigler, Nebraska, is an unlikely spot to find a house built in the Gothic Revival style. Most popular in the mid-19th century, the romantic style was never commonplace anywhere in Nebraska for houses; it is especially surprising...
Synthetic Stucco McMakeover
It has finally warmed up a bit so I took the camera out for a spin today. I was surprised to see that an old house I had noticed on a previous journey had changed, umm... dramatically. Unfortunately, I had not photographed the house earlier. However, Google did in...
Three Random Old Houses – Then and Now
The recent cold weather has made it more appealing to stay home and look through old photos than to go out and take new ones! Here are three old houses which have survived to the present day. The historic photos were found at estate sales or flea markets; I decided...
The War On Old Buildings – Part 1
Those who are passionate about old buildings have often wondered why there has long been such a bias toward them. Those of us who value old buildings (including houses) understand that these places typically have numerous attributes; they are frequently built of...
Wasted Potential
It's the exceedingly rare house-in-distress which is treated to a truly historically-correct restoration. And it's almost as uncommon to find a neglected house which receives a merely architecturally respectful renovation. Most dilapidated houses which get a new...
Your Future Home… 61 Years Later!
Welcome to the 1956 "Parade of Homes" sponsored by the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City! We'll take a look at ten of the fifty-five houses featured in the ninety-six page "plan and guide book" published in conjunction with the house tour. While...
Seasonal Ornamentation
The Curse of the 70’s: “Mansard” Mayhem
The 1970's, while memorable in many different ways, was not a decade generally acknowledged to have produced a lot in the way of desirable residential design. There was some, to be sure, but a lot of it was just unappealing. One of the more popular architectural...
A Bruce Goff House in Tulsa – with Alterations
I was surprised to run across a real estate listing for a house in Tulsa originally designed by Bruce Goff. Though somewhat altered, the 1925 Fred Hansen house was among Goff's earliest commissions and could be restored to a more original appearance. If you are not...
The Nail That Sticks Up…
There is much truth to the old Japanese proverb "The nail that sticks up gets hammered down". However, the phrase is far more descriptive of rural America than it is of Japan - especially when it comes to assertive examples of styled architecture. Victorian-era...
Before and…………..After!
When houses in a neighborhood are built by the same developer (and at roughly the same time), they tend to look a lot alike. Some developers will make an effort to introduce a little variety, either by changing exterior colors or materials, or sometimes by using...
Brick Queen Anne Transformed into Mock Tudor
At first glance this house in Council Bluffs, Iowa, appears to be a Tudor Revival from the 1920's or 30's Closer inspection reveals that the house began as an 1880's Queen Anne. Sorry about the photo quality... these images were taken from a real estate...
Architectural Integrity and the Lustron
A building which retains its architectural integrity is one which has been maintained as it was built and intended to be. When buildings are altered through remodeling or the installation of "maintenance -free" windows or siding, integrity is compromised. Such...
Unconventional Window Alterations – Part 2
It's always exciting to discover a new type of architectural depravity (hat tip to Seth!) which I had not previously encountered. Such discoveries typically involve the loss of architectural integrity which is not exciting, but I'm getting used to it... it's now the...
Mixed Messages: Replacement Doors at Odds With Their Context
We've all seen them. And with the proliferation of both Big Box home "improvement" stores and infomercials posing as television programs about restoration, renovation and design, we'll continue to see even more of them: entry doors which are stylistically...
The “Rodessa” by Sears?
I recently ran across a house in McDonald, Kansas, which looked oddly familiar. Pretty sure I'd seen this facade before... maybe a Sears kit house? So I took a photo. After some digging, I found what I was looking for. To me, the house at first appeared to be an...
Update!
Despite the handsome Queene Anne window sash depicted, this post is not about windows. I just wanted to let everyone know that my internet access will be sporadic over the next few weeks as I am finally able to get an ISP for the new house (finding a reliable...
Fun with Tile
The tile work enlivening the entry of a telephone company office built in the 1960's is just as energetic now as it was then... and right back in style, too!
A Stylectomy in Progress
No, stylectomy is not a word, but it should be, because this house has had its style excised from it. More frequently than I would like, I run across houses which have been brutalized from the perspective of architectural integrity. Today I ran across this house and...
Carved in Stone: Halloween Edition
Beautiful masonry is not restricted just to buildings; our cemeteries are filled with it. Due to my geographic location, we can only travel back in time as far as the 1870's today. It was very cold and windy this morning on the High Plains; the atmosphere was...
Construction Details of Two Outbuildings c. 1920
On Halloween the Architectural Observer will visit a cemetery to examine the architectural qualities of grave markers, but today let's take a closer look at the kind of vernacular buildings commonly built on farms in the early 20th century. The first structure was...
Random Observations – Part 11
Central Kansas is actually quite interesting if you are willing to stray from Interstate 70 for a few miles. Most people don't, so I'll show you a little bit of what they're missing. A few more scenes from the road less traveled! ...
Abandoned Rural Structures
The formerly common structures which once characterized the Great Plains and other rural areas have been disappearing for decades. The erosion is now accelerating at a mind-boggling pace. Take a look before they're gone forever: ...
A Visit to the Garden of Eden – Part 2: Interior
While not as exuberantly weird as the exterior, the interior of S. P. Dinsmoor's house is still a bit quirky. The most memorable bit of quirkiness is the woodwork - especially that of the main floor. Comprised of stock moldings and scraps, much of the woodwork...
A Visit to the Garden of Eden – Part 1: Exterior
The Garden of Eden in Lucas, Kansas, is not your average historic house museum. It is considerably more surreal than that. And much more memorable. Built by Civil War veteran S. P. Dinsmoor, the house itself was completed in 1907; the sculptures were a...
Random Observations – Part 10
The best way to experience "flyover country" is to drive through it. Here are a few scenes which caught my eye this afternoon in the center of the nation: ...
Unconventional Window Alterations – Part 1
An early 20th century commercial building, though modest, still retained its original wood double-hung windows until recently. Built in 1917, the Commercial Style structure is typical of many storefronts of its era. The large double-hung windows, an integral part of...
Stabilization w/ Passive Solar Bonus
Historic preservationists understand the term "stabilization" to mean putting the brakes on further decay of historic structures by making them watertight, structurally braced, and resistant to animals, vegetation and vandals. Also known as "mothballing",...
Warehousing People – Part 1
When Louis Sullivan coined the term "form follows function" in 1896 he could not have been thinking of these recently constructed "senior apartments" - though the structure aptly illustrates his observation. The form of this building makes abundantly clear its...
Late Italianate False Front
This wood structure probably dates to around 1900 - making it a late example of both the Italianate style and false-front buildings. Located in Lebanon, Kansas, a town at the geographic center of the 48 contiguous states, the original and present uses of the building...
3 Random Utilitarian Buildings and Other Roadside Scenes
Last weekend I ventured across Highway 36 in Kansas for the state's 11th annual "Treasure Hunt", a state-long flea market. I was hoping to get lots of interesting photos of architecture along the way, but few opportunities were to be found. I did, however, capture...
An Interesting Craftsman Bungalow
This house captured my attention for several reasons. First, it bears a striking resemblance (in reverse) to the Aladdin "Plaza" and Harris Homes' plan No. N-1026. Secondly, its elaborate mortise-and-tenon porch supports are both fun and chamfered. The balustrade...
The Evolution of the Winona by Sears
There are numerous frustrating obstacles to those who research houses with kit or plan book origins. One is that on occasion the various competitors would not only rename or renumber their assorted offerings over the years, but redesign the floor plans as well. And...
Greek Revival Surprise
Kansas was not heavily populated when it achieved statehood in 1861 - at roughly the same that the Greek Revival style fell from favor in all but the most rural areas of the nation. So it's not a surprise that the few examples of the style found in the state tend to...
Frederick L. Ackerman’s Plan No. 198
I've been fascinated by house plan books and catalogs for as long as I can remember and "The Books of a Thousand Homes" is particularly riveting. Published in 1923 by an entity calling itself The Home Owners Service Institute, the book contained five hundred house...
Harris Home No. N-1026, “The Plaza” by Aladdin or ???
A 1923 Harris Brothers Company catalog includes an attractive Craftsman style house with a rather lackluster name: No. N-1026. The house was offered with clapboard or shingled siding, and a reversed floor plan as an option. The Aladdin Company sold a nearly...
Brilliant Compromise: Harris Brothers’ Popular J-6
More than a century has passed since the Harris Brothers Company first offered a kit house which today is both admired and disparaged. Known variously over the years as Design No. 6, No. K-2013, and No. J-6, the kit house had a facade which continues to evoke a...
A Garlinghouse Dutch Colonial
For well over a century, the Garlinghouse Company has been publishing house plans. While I'm especially partial to their mid-20th century designs, the older ones also have merit. Below is plan number 1067 from the 1920's... the house shown in the second photo was...
Radical Excision of the Soul
Today I cried. On the floor. Gut-wrenching sobs. Fifty-six years old and I'm crying like a baby. No words can begin to describe the cutting pain felt. No words exist to describe the sense of loss. My partner and I feel bewildered and our efforts discarded. We...
Mid-Century Church Buildings
Here are a few interesting church buildings from the mid-20th century which have not been completely altered beyond recognition. They're rather tame for many locations, but here in flyover country they undoubtedly pushed the envelope when first built. ...