Converted to Garages…
Underutilized and undervalued properties are frequently prone to conversions which compromise their architectural integrity. Here are just two examples of structures which have been converted to uses quite different from their original functions. First, a...
Random Observations – Part 6
More random scenes from Flyover Country...
Neglected 70’s Dome Home
Standing out in sharp contrast to its more conventional neighbors, this vintage dome home appears to have been vacant for an extended period of time. It's sad to see "the home of the future" look so decrepit. Buckminster Fuller, American inventor, teacher,...
Awkward Rear Extensions
Just a few random images of old houses which have received one or more rearward additions... often resulting in unconventionally proportioned side elevations!
A Very Small One Room Schoolhouse
Described on an historical marker as one of the smallest schoolhouses in Nebraska, this late 19th-century frame structure measures just 14 by 16 feet. Simple structures like this, purely utilitarian and void of architectural styling, are easy to overlook and...
A Craftsman in Drag
Such irony! The Craftsman style of architecture - and the Arts and Crafts movement in general - came about as a rejection of the fussy and superficially decorative styles which dominated the last half of the 19th century. Craftsman dwellings sought to achieve...
Bruce Goff’s Freeman House
Built in 1959 in Joplin, Missouri, this house designed by Bruce Goff was recently on the market, allowing me to grab the following photos from Realtor.com. The house, designed for L. A. Freeman, boasts an impressively intact interior. The exterior has had easily...
What Style Is It?
The house below was recently enlarged and re-styled to the extent that the original house is hardly perceptible. Originally a one-story house of modest construction and vernacular styling, the house today serves as a showcase for various effects which can be created...
Details
It's been said that "the devil is in the details". If true, this newly constructed house may be a poster child for the expression. Aside from the chartreuse paint, this house looks a lot like other newly constucted homes. Even from the street there are a few...
Repurposing c. 1980
The first thing that I noticed about this late 20th-century church, aside from the odd proportions, was that its stained glass windows were much older than the structure itself. Closer inspection revealed that the windows had been reworked, presumably for...
Random Observations – Part 5
Interesting things which got my attention...
Old Building – Half Off!
At first glance, this brick commercial building in Wray, Colorado, looks a bit awkward. Closer inspection reveals that it is only half of of building; the left hand side was once the center (or near-center) of the structure. The right hand side has a vertical...
Miscellaneous Aging Metal Buildings
Metal has been a popular siding choice for workhorse-type structures for well over a century - here are just four examples from one small farming community. These buildings, while not generally appreciated from an aesthetic point of view, do shape the perceived...
Random Observations – Part 4
More random images of ordinary buildings observed in a small town...
Miscellaneous Details c. 1910
The following details were observed on a building dating to the early 20th century which is the recipient of casual maintenance. The double doors originally led to a fraternal lodge on the second floor. ...
Not Every House Has a Style!
Frequently I run across houses which defy simple description in terms of architectural style. After the clunky massing, the first thing one notices about this house is the top-heavy appearance. This is largely due to the fact that the dormer windows are much larger...
Fun with Brick
Masons - and architects - used to be a lot less inhibited than they are today! I recently ran across this building in southwestern Nebraska and was impressed with the playful masonry. The windows on the main facade are replacements; they were likely factory sash...
Miscellaneous Architectural Details
No rhyme or reason... just twelve interesting bits of architecture which caught my eye for one reason or another. Enjoy! ...
Miscellaneous Houses
I had planned to go on a road trip yesterday to digitally capture more architecture, but the weather was not cooperative, and today it is too cold. Therefore, I am putting together some miscellaneous images I had previously taken. They all have something of interest...
More Mid-Century Design
Some towns seem to have a glut of mid-20th century architecture. Here are a few buildings - or parts of them - which exhibit design characteristic of the 40's, 50's and 60's. Just because. ...
Prairie Plus
Loaded with unusual detailing, this interesting interpretation of the Prairie Style dates to around 1910 and is located in southwestern Nebraska. Horizontality is emphasized through the use of contrasting wall cladding - the first story is clapboard while the second...
High Style on the High Plains
This radio station in northwestern Kansas is a delightful example of mid-century modernism - and helps to explain both its original appeal and current popularity. It's quirky! It's fun! Of course, this building might not have been so attractive had the radio...
Random Observations – Part 3
Today's theme: Desolation.
Utilitarian Courthouse Grounds
This county courthouse, built 1906-1907, is a late example of the Richardsonian Romanesque style and one of the most architecturally noteworthy structures in its community. While many county courthouses which are located in small towns are situated either on a...
Narrow Spaces – Alleyways and Passageways
I've always been intrigued with strictly utilitarian spaces - especially those which are forgotten, neglected or awkward. Here are a few unsung spaces I've run across recently:
A Crass Alteration
It used to be that you could always count on banks to maintain their facilities with the utmost care. They're a lot like most funeral homes in that regard; they typically look groomed and manicured and maintained. So I was kind of surprised to see this rather crude...
Hidden in Plain Sight
At first glance, this mid-20th century storefront seems to be just that; mid-20th century. A look above the metal canopy shows a Victorian storefront of limestone which has been painted. The replacement windows are not very compatible with the surrounding historic...
Random Observations – Part 2
I had the opportunity to take my camera out for a spin this Thanksgiving weekend... the mood was not at all surreal as it had been last week. I found lots of interesting buildings; they haven't all been torn down yet. Thanks for joining me! ...
A Tale of Two Jails
What a difference 48 years can make - especially in terms of style or fashion. The photos below demonstrate not just a change in stylistic preferences, but also in jail design. Already out of fashion when completed in 1907, this crenelated example of the...
Soft Brick Graffiti
The soft brick used to construct the back wall of an 1890's commercial building has provided the perfect medium for generations of young graffiti artists to leave their mark. It may not be as colorful or loud as the work of spray paint artists, but is still...
Nuisance Abatement or Mediocrity Assured?
The practice known as "nuisance abatement" - using municipal ordinances to justify the destruction of neglected or abandoned properties - continues to take a toll on overlooked resources across the country. The process can be especially devastating to small towns...
A Century of Modifications
When I ran across a commemorative plate in a second hand store recently, I noticed that it showed two versions of the same church building. I found a third, and more recent, version in a photograph online. The three images nicely show the evolution of a simple...
Random Observations in a Small Town
It's Sunday morning in a small Midwestern town; the mood is slightly surreal. The few people who are out are gathered at an auction house; a cluster of vehicles surrounds it. Loudspeakers along the main street fill the air with a woman's voice intoning a church...
Mothballed Storefronts
It's a common sight in small-town America - vacant or underutilized storefronts lining the heart of town. Declining populations and a struggling economy have both taken their toll and it shows. How communities deal with these growing vacancies varies from place to...
Mid-Century Modern Door Hardware
Every once in a while I run across an interesting example of well-designed door hardware from the mid-20th century. There used to be more, of course, but our culture's obsession with making everything new again has relegated a lot of it to the landfill or salvage...
Replacement Siding: Before and After
I've yet to see a replacement siding installation which was without at least some undesirable side effects. The house shown below fared far better than most do when subjected to a "maintenance-free" (ha!) future; the homeowner and/or the installer saved the cornice...
Houston in Microcosm: 3 Intersections Over the Course of Time
Houston, Texas, is a fascinating place. Famous for its casual zoning laws, the city has an insatiable appetite for redevelopment and reinvents itself at a seemingly constant pace. In scenes that have been repeated time and again for more than a half century, quiet...
In Memoriam: Trees
Architecture and the landscape it inhabits will forever be intertwined. While new construction often rises in a barren landscape, historic structures generally have become more integrated with their natural surroundings. Trees are especially crucial to...
Real Craftsman Turned into Fake, Television-Inspired, Craftsman
Looking like something straight out of a television program about house flipping, this former authentic Craftsman-style house has been reduced to a caricature of itself as the following "before" and "after" photos illustrate. In the "before" photo (image courtesy...
The Porch as a Style Setter
Old houses have long been subject to changing architectual trends and fashion. Since its beginning, the United States has been a place of change and experimentation; the fact is just one reason why we have not done so well at preserving our architectural history...
An Ozark Giraffe… in Nebraska
Indigenous to the Ozark region of Missouri and Arkansas, the stone veneers known as "Ozark Giraffe" are a highly memorable vernacular construction technique. Examples of structures clad in this manner are also commonly found in adjacent areas of Oklahoma and extreme...
The Road to Hell: Paved with Good Intentions
A common justification for building anew (as opposed to renovating an existing building) is the claim that the client can get "exactly what is wanted" or that new construction will be a "fresh start" - a chance to "do things right". Of course, this only works if both...
Row Houses on the Prairie
One doesn't expect to see Victorian-era row houses anywhere in Kansas, but especially not in the less-populated western half. There just wasn't much need for a dense, urban, housing type on the wide-open prairie. Imagine my surprise when, 15 or 20 years ago, I ran...
Swallowed Alive
The passage of time manifests itself differently on some buildings than on others. This place really intrigues me and, because it's still standing, there is still hope. One of Stockton, Kansas' most architecturally significant early houses, this Second Empire...
Fake History Removed!
I'm so used to seeing real history destroyed or covered up that it kind of shocks me when I see the reverse happen. This stone storefront is a good example. When I first noticed this building in Hays, Kansas, I was puzzled by the clapboard fake front (complete with...
Pretty in Pink
Every once in a while I run across one of those increasingly rare houses which still maintains a true-to-the-period or original paint scheme. When I do, I have to photograph it because I know that at some point in the future that particular look will not be valued....
Self-defeating Quoins
The insanity never ends... these fake quoins go one step further than most in demonstrating their superficiality. Originally a wood-frame house of conventional construction, this place was given a makeover in an effort to elevate its common origins, including a...
Super-size my McHistory!
While it's fair to say that there is more awareness and appreciation of historic styles than there was forty years ago, it's also fair to say that there is room for improvement - especially where issues of scale, proportion, details and historic...
Revisiting Virtually
I've been digging through a lot of old photographs recently and became curious about what had happened to some of the places I had photographed years ago. This photo, for example, was taken in downtown Cherokee, Iowa about ten years ago. At the time I was struck by...
Preservation Dilemma
Sometimes the choices made in historic preservation efforts aren't always clear-cut. Increasingly, there is debate over what is worthy of preservation and what is not. Many years ago I photographed this vibrant 1960's-vintage metal facade which spanned...