One of hundreds of house designs published by the Radford Architectural Company of Chicago in the early twentieth century, Design No. 1131 is an eclectic composition in that it combines Colonial Revival, Queen Anne and Shingle style influences.

This example in Russell, Kansas, has retained many of its original features. Let’s see what it looks like after 114 years!

The exterior as it appears in the 1909 edition of Radford’s Modern Homes. Image source: archive.org


The accompanying floor plan. Image source: archive.org


The house as built in Russell, Kansas. The foundation is of native limestone. Image source: zillow.com
The prominent porch gable emphasizes the Colonial Revival; the tower is a Queen Anne holdout. Image source: zillow.com
The arched gable ends recall the faded Shingle style. Image source: zillow.com
The back of the house is notably less fussy. Image source: zillow.com
Nice pocket doors with cast hardware survive inside. Image source: zillow.com
Surprisingly, the stairwell is enclosed… Image source: zillow.com
…but has a great window above the winders! Image source: zillow.com
Fortunately the upstairs woodwork also managed to avoid the paint brush. Image source: zillow.com
Lots of headroom in this gable room. Note the original corner guard (before the days of metal corners). Image source: zillow.com
The woodwork appears to be in great condition everywhere. “Borrowed” light from a door helps to illuminate this space. Image source: zillow.com