Part 1 - December 2010
Part 2 - 1/7/2011 New
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Part 1 December 2010
Last updated 12/30/2010
Is 102 a four-square or shingle-style home? Here is some information to explore.
The 102 West 3rd Ave house was built in an era when one of the prevailing styles was called a Four Square (also called a Prairie Box). A good description can be located at the link [1] below. I joined a forum [2] and posted a request for information on this house. A respondent said the following:
Since a Foursquare is really more of a shape, than a style, and this house does not have the overall boxy shape of a Foursquare with the large front projection I don't think that is an accurate description for this house.
Even though the wall cladding is shingles over clapboards I really see a mostly Shingle Style house here, especially the deeply revealed window detailing. If one were to reconstruct the wrap-around porch, including thick and wrapped (with shingles) columns, I think this would go a long way towards a more consistent design and style. Also, Shingle-style houses often had some radius edge detailing going on, arches in porches, towers, bay windows, so, incorporating some here would also bring a nice finishing touch.
Its a cool house, the new front porch is all wrong and the rear addition is awkward, but there is a fine house hiding not so far behind these elements.
Here are some more Shingle Style Architecture links to investigate.
Shingle Style Architecture http://architecture.about.com/od/housestyles/ss/shingle.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shingle_Style_architecture
image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1111-gratz-4th-and-gill-tn1.jpg
Galveston TX c1910: http://www.therealgalveston.com/Architecture.html#I, Also shows an American four-square
Asheville, NC: 1900 William B Williamson House. http://www.hinsdalearchitecture.org/architecture.html
Large image: http://www.hinsdalearchitecture.org/images/original_files/138_East_Fourth.jpg
Links:
[1] Foursquare Style - 1895 to 1930, characteristics and description.
[2] About.com Architecture Forum on Architecture
Part 2 Posted 1/7/2011 NEW
Here is some additional research into the style of the 102 West 3rd Ave property. It is not clear what style it is. If you find this interesting, explore it further and see what you think. Maybe you can find a plan or image yourself of the house. So far I have not.
I believed at first that the style was a four-square (Part 1 above). Then that has evolved to a Folk Victorian. And finally Paul Fromberg in his email below thinks it may be a Craftsman-style house. So I have explored that further in this page. Follow my research or branch out on your own.
From: Fomberg, Paul <paul.fomberg@ncdcr.gov>
Date: Thu, Jan 6, 2011 at 1:48 PM
Subject: RE: Dan Smith - 102 West 3rd Avenue, Lexington, MA
To: Dan Smith <lexington.rhd.neighborhood.group@gmail.com
Dan, the more I look at the house the more I think it is a vernacular Craftsman-style house on the exterior rather than a folk Victorian. I do not think that the porch on this house would have had turned columns and spindle work. It could have had simple square or round columns, or perhaps it had shingled columns since there are large shingled columns on the upper story sleeping porches. Some of the pattern books we have looked at are: Turn-of-the Century houses, Cottages and Villas by R.W. Shoppell et. al. published by Dover Publications, Inc. and Houses by Mail: A Guide to Houses from Sears, Roebuck and Company by Katherine Cole Stevenson and H. Ward Jandl published by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Dover Publications has a number of pattern books from several eras. Hope this helps.
Paul E. Fomberg
Senior Restoration Specialist
Restoration Branch
State Historic Preservation Office
NC Department of Cultural Resources
Ph: 919.807.6578 | Fx: 919.807.6599
www.hpo.ncdcr.gov
Based on the preceding, my search on 1/7/2011 is as follows. I did not find any definitive answer to the question of the 102 house's style or porch.
1. Google Search: "Turn-of-the Century houses, Cottages and Villas" by R.W. Shoppel
http://www.tower.com/turn-century-houses-cottages-villas-floor-plans-line-r-w-shoppell-paperback/wapi/100598471
Current Price: $10.36
http://www.tower.com/110-turn-century-house-designs-r-w-shoppell-paperback/wapi/100662732
Current Price: $14.95
2. Google Search: "Houses by Mail: A Guide to Houses from Sears, Roebuck and Company" by Katherine Cole Stevenson and H. Ward Jandlg
http://architecture.about.com/od/planbooks/tp/bungalowplan.htm
Historic Bungalow Plans: Reproduction House Plan Catalogs
Find Plans for Bungalow Houses
Based on a simple homes from India, the practical bungalow style took America by storm in the early 1900s. The style spread quickly via mail order house plans. Today, you can purchase reproductions of the original bungalow plan catalogs. Listed here are a few of the best, plus books on the history of bungalow architecture and building plans for contemporary bungalows.
Houses by Mail: A Guide to Houses from Sears, Roebuck and Company
The authors have gathered an impressive selection of Sear's mail order homes. Presented here are reproductions of plans for approximately 450 models sold between 1908 and 1940. Included are descriptions, illustrations and prices. By Katherine Cole Stevenson, H. Ward Jandl.
(and many more listings of books of plans).
3. cont.
http://encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/611.html
http://archive.southcoasttoday.com/daily/03-01/03-18-01/f01ho176.htm
To learn more about Sears houses, get a copy of "Houses By Mail: A Guide to Houses from Sears, Roebuck and Co.," by Stevenson and Jandl. The book contains illustrations and floor plans for most of the Modern Homes Department's approximately 450 models. For Aladdin homes, go to Central Michigan University's Clarke Historical Library Web site www.lib.cmich.edu/clarke/aladdin/Aladdin.htm. For an overview and additional sources, visit www.arts-crafts.com.
4. http://clarke.cmich.edu/ Search on Aladdin
Click on http://clarke.cmich.edu/resource_tab/resource_tab_index.html
Click on Aladdin Company of Bay City
Aladdin Company Annual Sales Catalogs: http://clarke.cmich.edu/resource_tab/aladdin_company_of_bay_city/annual_sales_catalogs/annual_sales_catalogs_index.html
Through this page the Clarke Library brings to the web the Aladdin Company annual sales catalogs published between 1908 and the mid-1950s
1910 not so fancy houses. Show some interior sketches. More cabins and farmhouses. Each year the catalogs grow and have more sophisticated houses and the number of plans grow.
The Hudson first shows in 1912 catalog: http://clarke.cmich.edu/resource_tab/aladdin_company_of_bay_city/annual_sales_catalogs/pdfs/1912_annual_sales_catalog.pdf
Here it is in the 1915 catalog: http://clarke.cmich.edu/resource_tab/aladdin_company_of_bay_city/annual_sales_catalogs/pdfs/1915_annual_sales_catalog.pdf
http://clarke.cmich.edu/resource_tab/aladdin_company_of_bay_city/annual_sales_catalogs/pdfs/1916_annual_sales_catalog.pdf
1916 - this catalog at the end shows lots of interior details/furnishings and exterior rear shots of additions, e.g. Sleeping porch
The Englewood - farmhouse
6. Researching your own home: http://clarke.cmich.edu/resource_tab/aladdin_company_of_bay_city/researching_your_own_home/researching_your_own_home_index.html
Particular kinds of houses were built in particular eras using particular construction techniques. Try identifying the architectural style of your house by consulting guides such as, A Field Guide to American Houses by Virginia & Lee Mc Alester (Knopf, 1984) or Identifying American Architecture by John J.G. Blumenson (American Association for State and Local History).
7. Google Search: Craftsman Style Home Plans (images)
Charlotte Communities: http://charlottecommunitiesonline.com/2008/11/06/dilworth-charlotte-nc-homes-for-sale-market-report/
Craftsman house #4, Elizabeth, Charlotte, North Carolina
The following is the image seen on the preceding URL
1917 Aladdin Kit Home Ad - The Sunshine
On the above URL, look to the right and you will see the following:
10. Explore the sets of Flickr photos for Aladdin, Craftsman-style and others
Search: shingle craftsman-style and many thumbnail photos appear. View as Medium
Search: shingle craftsman-style porch <--works pretty good
This image of the Aladdin Sunshine appeared in Ladies Home Journal as part of a full page ad. It eventually
proved to be one of their most enduring plans. The plan in the 1920 catalog
was renamed the Fairfield during the 1930s.
URL above:
Click on Styles at top
On left click on Craftsman
Click on Foursquare and you see this image
11. The Coronado
1922 LEWIS MANUFACTURING COMPANY
12. The Woodland
1923 SEARS ROEBUCK MODERN HOMES
13. From above URL click on Index of Floor Plans and you get to the following:
14. Google Search using 1916 Sears Modern Home catalog mentioned in text above of 1923 Sears home above image
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sears_Catalog_Home, at the bottom of the wiki link there is a list of External links.
15. One is Sears Modern Homes, click on it takes you to Sears Archives http://www.searsarchives.com/index.htm
Once again, Sears has made history. For the first time, Sears has opened the doors to its vast archival collection and invited the public to peek inside. More than 100 years of history now available online.
Locate Historic Homes and you will see the following on the left. Click on 1908-1914 and you will see these three homes to start.
Click on each image to see it blown up and a floor plan. You can click on the image and it will blow up or return to screen size.
The porches are of note. They are just 6 feet deep. See blow up of The Chelsea below.
Click on Images of Homes 1908 - 1914 scroll up and down.
Click on What is a Sears home? http://www.searsarchives.com/homes/index.htm
From 1908–1940, Sears, Roebuck and Co. sold about 70,000 - 75,000 homes through their mail-order Modern Homes program. Over that time Sears designed 447 different housing styles, from the elaborate multistory Ivanhoe, with its elegant French doors and art glass windows, to the simpler Goldenrod, which served as a quaint, three-room and no-bath cottage for summer vacationers. (An outhouse could be purchased separately for Goldenrod and similar cottage dwellers.) Customers could choose a house to suit their individual tastes and budgets.
Sears was not an innovative home designer. Sears was instead a very able follower of popular home designs but with the added advantage of modifying houses and hardware according to buyer tastes. Individuals could even design their own homes and submit the blueprints to Sears, which would then ship off the appropriate precut and fitted materials, putting the home owner in full creative control. Modern Home customers had the freedom to build their own dream houses, and Sears helped realize these dreams through quality custom design and favorable financing. (continue your reading at URL above, it is interesting)
16. Google Search images: shingle craftsman-style
http://library.thinkquest.org/C006928/styles.htm American House Styles
Craftsman 1905 - 1930
The Craftsman style also feature a low-pitched roof with wide overhangs. The roof rafters are exposed and usually have decorative beams or braces added under the gable. There are partial or full porches with a roof that is supported by tapered square columns that usually extend to the ground. The windows usually have multiple panes with a narrow rectangular pattern.
McAlester,Virginia and Lee.A Field Guide To American Houses.New York. Alfred A.Knopf.1998
c. 1909 Steffan House
This house is a fine example of outstanding work of a local designer/ builder. The main building is a 1.5 story wood-framed craftsman-style residence with a full-width porch with heavy squared. The .5 story level is covered by wood shingle. The accessory structure was used as Joseph Steffan’s cabinet shop.
Bowling Green KY, Historic Downtown District
Guy H. Herdman, 640 East Main Avenue
Creedmore Fleenor was responsible for designing this Bungalow/Craftsman style house for Guy Herdman around 1910. Significant architectural elements include the wide porch, low pitched roof with bracketed eaves, wood shingles and rock foundation.
William Shockley home - Craftsman Style - 1899
959 Waverley: This craftsman style house was built by local builder Gus Laumeister, who was well known for quality construction and fine workmanship. The porch has classical columns.
This building was the boyhood home of Nobel Prize winner, William Shockley, who was co-inventor of the transistor and a significant (though controversial) contributor to the development of Silicon Valley as a center of the semiconductor industry. Used historically as a residence, it is currently configured as rental units.
