Exterior Lighting c. 1970

Exterior Lighting c. 1970

What's not to love about super-sized exterior light fixtures mounted at a jaunty angle?  These three globe lights illuminate a bench adjacent to the entrance of a bank building:        

read more
A Visit to the Koester House

A Visit to the Koester House

The majority of house museums scattered throughout the country rely heavily upon conjecture and the acquisition of period pieces to recreate the past.  The Gothic Revival style Koester house is delightfully different, and doesn't feel overly curated or over-restored....

read more
Lustron Houses

Lustron Houses

Lustrons pop up when you least expect them.  I hadn't run across any in a long time and then, BAM, two in one day!  Both have had alterations and differing levels of maintenance.  If you're not familiar with Lustron houses, here is a bit of history on them courtesy of...

read more
Miscellaneous Craftsman Style Houses

Miscellaneous Craftsman Style Houses

Many communities dotting the Great Plains initially grew and flourished in the early 20th century - roughly the same time period which saw the Arts and Crafts movement blossom.  Therefore, its not surprising that the Craftsman style was quite popular in these growing...

read more
Converted to Garages…

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...

read more
Neglected 70’s Dome Home

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,...

read more
Awkward Rear Extensions

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!                

read more
A Very Small One Room Schoolhouse

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...

read more
A Craftsman in Drag

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...

read more
Bruce Goff’s Freeman House

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...

read more
What Style Is It?

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...

read more
Details

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...

read more
Brick Veneers as a Facelift

Brick Veneers as a Facelift

While not as popular as vinyl siding, the use of brick veneers to provide an easier-to-maintain exterior (or simply to alter the look of a house) is still fairly common.  Usually a few tell-tale clues remain to reveal that the house began as one clad in wood. The...

read more
Repurposing c. 1980

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...

read more
Undercover Garage

Undercover Garage

Posing as wood construction, this garage is actually built of brick.  A recent cladding of clapboard siding gives the illusion of a frame structure, though the brick around the door and side windows was left visible:  

read more
Old Building – Half Off!

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...

read more
Miscellaneous Aging Metal Buildings

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...

read more
Miscellaneous Details c. 1910

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.            ...

read more
Not Every House Has a Style!

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...

read more
Fun with Brick

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...

read more
Miscellaneous Houses

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...

read more
More Mid-Century Design

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.                  ...

read more
Prairie Plus

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...

read more
High Style on the High Plains

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...

read more
Utilitarian Courthouse Grounds

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...

read more
A Crass Alteration

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...

read more
Hidden in Plain Sight

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...

read more
Random Observations – Part 2

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!      ...

read more
A Tale of Two Jails

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...

read more
Soft Brick Graffiti

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...

read more
Nuisance Abatement or Mediocrity Assured?

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...

read more
A Century of Modifications

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...

read more
Random Observations in a Small Town

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...

read more
Mothballed Storefronts

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...

read more
Mid-Century Modern Door Hardware

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...

read more
Replacement Siding: Before and After

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...

read more
In Memoriam:  Trees

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...

read more
Extreme Makeover c. 1972

Extreme Makeover c. 1972

Some remodelings are more exhaustive than others.  This structure, for example, was re-imagined somewhere in the past, likely the early 1970's.  The then-popular mansard roof was used as a device to completely conceal the second story while stucco, diamond-paned...

read more
The Porch as a Style Setter

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...

read more
An Ozark Giraffe…  in Nebraska

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...

read more
Identity Crisis

Identity Crisis

Although this house is clearly struggling with its identity, it's quite obvious that the house was originally styled in the Craftsman manner; it probably dates to around 1915.  Surviving original defining details include the projecting eaves with exposed rafter tails,...

read more

The Architectural Observer rarely looks at “important” buildings; the focus is upon overlooked ones.  Some will be antique survivors which have come through time surprisingly intact.  Many will be old buildings which have been altered without regard to their stylistic integrity while others will be new construction which never had any stylistic integrity to begin with.

The decline of architectural integrity is just one more facet of the prolific and ongoing devolution of our culture.  The Architectural Observer calls it like it is!  Are there more important and pressing issues facing us now?  Yes, but everyone needs a distraction from those other issues once in a while.  And besides, this is relevant and much more fun!

There are four kinds of distractions here:

OBSERVATIONS  highlights the lowlights of our built environment – and observes occasional architectural details which might otherwise be overlooked.

PLAN BOOK AND KIT HOUSES examines structures built from mail order plans or actual kits.

PROJECTS follows the progress on a variety of design-related endeavors.

DRAG QUEEN ARCHITECTURE showcases buildings built in one style but which are trying to pass themselves off as a different style.

Let’s face it; we built better buildings in the eighteenth, nineteenth and early twentieth centuries than we do now.  Let’s take a cue from the past and start to remember how buildings are supposed to look and function.  Thanks for joining me – please use the contact form for polite inquiry or to gripe at me.