19th century domestic architecture of allen county indiana |
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| Title | Nineteenth century domestic architecture of Allen County, Indiana |
| Description | Research in the history of architecture, stressing its sociological and cultural significance, has become particularly active. We suddenly realize that our landmarks, the tangible evidence of our heritage, are rapidly vanishing. This pamphlet focuses on 19th century domestic architecture of Allen County, Indiana. |
| Creator | Peat, Wilbur David, 1898- |
| Publisher | Allen County Public Library |
| Date | 1964 |
| Identifier | ocm08468606 |
| Rights | http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/rights.html |
| Transcript | Board of Trustees of the Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County Charles Slater, President Allan J. Tremper, Vice-President Phillip Sanborn, Secretary Arthur J. Meyer, Treasurer Mrs. Richard E. Buirley Leslie S. Fry Mrs. Mark Knoblauch Public Library Board for Allen County The members of this board include the members of the above board (with the same officers) together with the following citizens chosen from Allen County outside the corporate city of Fort Wayne. Mrs. Frank Dulin James E. Graham Gerald W. Morsches Mrs. Charles Reynolds The following paper is a condensation of an illustrated lecture given by Wilbur D. Peat before the Annual Dinner of the Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society, November 16, 1963. FOREWORD In recent years research in the history of architecture, stressing its sociological and cultural significance, has become particularly active. The public interest in this subject has increased with its need to understand the backgrounds of contemporary architecture. These backgrounds have led to heightened awareness of the importance of the preservation of our architectural heritage, for we suddenly realize that our old landmarks, the tangible evidence of this heritage, are rapidly vanishing. It is rare to find the director of an important Art Museum evidencing genuine and sincere concern for any facet of our artistic past other than painting or sculpture or classical antiquity. I am personally gratified to find a nearby colleague who shares my interest in our local architectural examples. Wilbur D. Peat, Director (since 1929) of the Herron Museum of Art, Indianapolis, brings to us deep interest in and dedication to the preservation of our Indiana architectural heritage. Especially important to us are the local domestic or residential structures, with their direct sociological bearing on our cultural environment. His genuine enthusiasm for his subject and his keen observations are validated by scholarly, documented research. Dr. Peat is the author of several books and articles related to the history of art and architecture in Indiana. His most recently published book (1962), Indiana Houses of the Nineteenth Century, is the basis for his speech published herein. For our serious consideration, if we are to develop a local preservation program, Dr. Peat has suggested that we apprise ourselves and the community of the need to preserve at least one noteworthy example from each period of our architectural growth. These examples should be selected with sound judgment and marked for preservation with meaningful purpose and support. This should be accomplished well in advance of possible demolition schedules, lest we repeat again and again the fiasco—the loss—of “The Ewing House.” Theodore B. Fitzwater Director Fort Wayne Art School and Museum NINETEENTH CENTURY DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE OF ALLEN COUNTY, INDIANA A discussion of old houses might reasonably include interesting anecdotes about the people who lived in them. But not being familiar with the lives of famous or near-famous persons who lived in Fort Wayne and Allen County, and wishing to appraise the houses from the standpoint of architectural design, my discussion will deal only with the styles of old buildings here in terms of the periods in which they were built. At the outset I might call attention to the fact that every old house is not necessarily a work of architecture. That is to say that while it might have appeal as a venerable old structure it may be lacking in good design. What we will examine here are buildings which were designed—in most cases by unknown builders and architects—with architectural knowledge and artistic sensitivity. We are not going to spend much time discussing houses which have undergone extensive alterations in recent years. One such house is familiar to all of you: the Swinney Homestead, I find it impossible to determine today the style of the original 1844 building because of changes which have taken place in subsequent remodeling projects. Another example is the old Darling house on the Huntington road, in Aboite Township. Although the original oblong brick structure has not been remodeled, the front door has been shifted from south to north and a large classic two-story 1 story portico, added about 1940, is now the principal entrance. On the chart of architectural styles of the nineteenth century (centerpiece) one sees that the earliest type of architecture, so far as this region is concerned, is the Federal. This developed after the Revolutionary War and was the preferred style until about 1840 when it was eclipsed in popularity by the Classic Revivals—Roman and Greek. I know of no house in Fort Wayne representing the Federal style of architecture. The small Gibeau place on Clay Street (Fig. 1), might serve as an example, even though it was probably built as late as the 1840's or around 1850. It might be called, more appropriately, a post-Colonial design since it is closely related to the simple one-story houses of the eighteenth century. The elevated first floor, requiring a flight of steps, is a southern feature which developed out of the necessity of having the living quarters well above damp or marshy ground. The relatively steep pitch of the roof is more in keeping with the early Colonial taste than with that of the Classic Revival movement. The Hugh McCulloch house as seen today on West Superior Street (Fig. 2) has been considerably altered since it was built in 1838. It was originally a Greek Revival structure with a central story-and-half block flanked by one-story wings. Late in the nineteenth century a second story was added and the columns of the portico were increased in height by placing them on high brick bases. It is doubtful if the original columns were used at the time of remodeling. In order to understand what the house looked like when it was built I call your attention to one in the northern part of the state, the John B. Howe residence at Howe (Fig. 3). Its four-columned portico, close to Greek Doric proportions, extends forward 2 Figure 1. Gibeau House, Clay Street, ca. 1840's. Federal. Photograph courtesy of Sidney Pepe. Figure 2. Hugh McCulloch House, West Superior Street. Original construction 1838. Greek Revival. Photograph courtesy of Sidney Pepe. 3 from a story-and-half central block, with small wings only a story in height. The pitch of the roof is low, both on the main unit and on the wings which extend to the right and left. Our authority for saying that the Hugh McCulloch house once looked like this is the pictorial map of Fort Wayne published in 1855 (Fig. 4), a print of which may be seen in your Historical Museum. Although the house is small on the map, the design and proportions are discernible. The chart showing the ancient Greek Doric order (Fig. 5) illustrates the characteristic features of that style and enables us to understand the architectural principles taken over by builders in America who were designing structures within the framework of the Greek Revival idiom. Although local architects and carpenter-builders took liberties with the original Hellenic models, in adapting them to current needs and materials, they remained faithful to many of the basic features. Among the features which were incorporated in buildings of the 1840's was the shallow pitch of the roof, resulting in a low or obtuse triangular pediment; a wide entablature between the cornice and the columns, divided into two bands—the frieze and the architrave; the alternating spaces of the frieze, called triglyphs and metopes; stocky columns resting on the floor of the porch, without bases; and frequent use of well-defined pilasters on the corners of buildings. The old Canal Company house at Connersville (Fig. 6) is a good example of the temple-type Greek Revival building. Relatively few builders of the 1840's reproduced so carefully the antique models. Most of them preferred to show some originality in planning, massing, and the use of Greek details. One of the most interesting Greek Revival houses in the state was the Samuel Hanna homestead here in Fort Wayne, which was recently demolished 4 (Fig. 7). Henry Williams, the architect, displayed considerable originality in designing it with two porticoes flanking the entrance, each with three sturdy square columns supporting a well defined, low-pitched pediment. Three columns, instead of two, four or six, are unusual; but since the porticoes here were not entrance porches the odd number served the plan very well in framing large paired windows. Square columns were frequently used instead of round ones because they were easier to construct with lumber. It was built in 1845. The use of large columned porticoes was by no means universal among Greek Revival houses. In the majority of cases none was built, the front doors being unprotected from the weather, or small porches were regarded as sufficient. Many of the houses were so placed on their lots that the ends of the buildings, containing the front entrances, faced the street. This was the orientation of the old Greek temples, giving prominence to the gable or pediment. Among the fine houses in Allen County representing this type are the Lindsey house, 614 West Berry Street (Fig. 8), the Angel-Hoffman house at 922 West Berry Street (Fig. 9), and the Burgess-Schnelker house south of New Haven (Fig. 10). Each is characterized by a strongly delineated pediment, the lower band of which has been eliminated; wide entablature boards under the eaves which are brought around the corners and then stopped, typical of many American buildings of the Greek Revival tradition; small semi-circular attic windows in the pediment area; and the other windows austerely capped with long, rectangular stone lintels. The door of the Schnelker house is typically Greek Revival in its severe, geometric design as well as in its use of rectangular glazed transom and side lights. Colonial and Federal fan lights had gone out 5 Figure 3. John B. Howe House, Howe, Indiana, 1840. Greek Revival. Photograph courtesy Wilbur D. Peat. Figure 4. Hugh McCulloch House, from E. P. Abbot, C. E. map of Fort Wayne, 1855. Photograph courtesy of Herb Harnish. 6 GREEK DORIC ORDER Figure 5. Chart of the Greek Doric Order. Courtesy of the Fort Wayne Art School. Figure 6. Canal Company Office, Connersville, Indiana, ca. 1842 Greek Revival. Photograph courtesy of Wilbur D. Peat The second story porch is probably an addition. 7 Figure 7. Hanna Homestead, formerly on East Lewis Street, 1844. Greek Revival. Photograph courtesy of the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette. Figure 8. Lindsey House, West Berry Street. Late 1840's. Greek Revival. Photograph courtesy of O'Rourke and O'Rourke, Inc. An earlier sketch shows the wing as only one story. 8 Figure 9. Angel-Hoffman House, West Berry Street, ca. 1850 Greek Revival. Photograph courtesy of Sidney Pepe. Figure 10. Burgess-Schnelker House, south of New Haven, ca. 1850. Greek Revival. Photograph courtesy of Peter Certia. 9 of style by the 1840's. The wing of the house at the left is original, but the porch attached to it is of a much later date. Along with this end-toward-the-street type, many examples of the period had front entrances in the broad sides of the houses. This was by no means a Greek Revival feature exclusively. Basically it has been the most preferred orientation of a building throughout the centuries. Good examples in Fort Wayne of this family of Greek Revival architecture are the William S. Edsall house, at 305 West Main Street (Fig. 11), and the William G. Ewing house that stood until recently on the comer of Berry and Ewing streets (Fig. 12). Both were built in the mid-eighteen fifties. The Edsall house, in proportion and scale, is typical of the average Classic Revival oblong house. Its front door is designed in the Greek Revival tradition, and the windows are severely plain. But a new ornamental feature appears here, namely the use of brackets under the eaves and under the projecting roof at the gable ends. Brackets became popular in the 1850's, with the advent of a new architectural movement—the Italianate. And their use here marks the Edsall house as a transitional type. The Ewing homestead, a more stately and imposing structure, was a good instance of the late mature Greek Revival style. Its low-pitched roof, wide entablature pierced by rectangular attic windows (suggesting metopes and triglyphs in the frieze), tastefully designed fenestration, and pleasing proportions produce that classic dignity we once admired. With the razing of this and the Hanna homestead Fort Wayne has lost two of its finest architectural monuments of the pre-Civil War era. As the Greek Revival declined in popularity in the 1850's two new architectural movements evolved: 10 CENTERPIECE: Chart of the styles of architecture in Fort Wayne during the 19th century. Figure 11. William S. Edsall House, West Main Street, ca. 1850. Greek Revival. Photograph courtesy of Sidney Pepe. Figure 12. William G. Ewing House, formerly on West Berry Street, 1854. Greek Revival. Photograph courtesy of Sidney Pepe. 13 the Gothic Revival and the Italianate. The former was based on medieval building principles, the latter on early Italian Renaissance. As seen by the old J. J. Kline house on West Wayne Street (Fig. 13) built about 1853, the new Gothic style was a striking departure from the former classic idiom. The roof became very steep, windows were frequently pointed at the top, Gothic details and ornamental features were employed, and the accent was on verticality. Although elaborately carved bargeboards were frequently important adjuncts to gables of Gothic Revival houses, they do not appear on the Kline house. We see here, however, the pointed arch windows with small panes of glass in the upper segments. Most of Fort Wayne's best Gothic Revival houses have been razed. The Maxwell House on the campus of the Indiana Institute of Technology (Fig. 14) still stands, and effectively represents the style under discussion. The steep gable at the front is enriched by a scalloped bargeboard, and a pendant is suspended from the apex; and it is reasonable to assume that a Gothic pinnacle originally projected upwards from the peak of the gable. Under the eaves is a brick molding imitating machicolations—the band of corbels and openings seen on many medieval battlemented castles. The porch appears to be a later addition. The Italianate style of architecture was more popular in the decade before and after the Civil War than the Gothic Revival, and therefore there are many more examples of it in Fort Wayne and throughout the Midwest. Houses built in this tradition have low pitched roofs, frequently hipped, with extending eaves supported by large brackets. Windows are relatively tall and are crowned with elaborately carved lintels. The Eckart house at 321 East Wayne Street, built in 1871 (Fig. 15), was a typical example. The roof is so flat that it disappears behind the flaring 14 Figure 13. J. J. Kline House, West Wayne Street, ca. 1855. Revival. Photograph courtesy of Peter Certia. Figure 14. Maxwell House, Campus of Indiana Institute of Technology, 1850's. Gothic Revival. Photograph courtesy of Sidney Pepe. 15 Figure 15. Frederick Eckart House, formerly on East Wayne, 1871. Italianate. Photograph courtesy of Sidney Pepe. Figure 16. Louis Peltier House, East Lewis Street. Italianate. Photograph courtesy of Sidney Pepe. 16 eaves; beautifully carved brackets create a decorative cornice; window heading are richly carved, as is the lintel over the door; and a small porch is placed in the angle of the house. Most Italianate houses have small porches like that of the Eckart house (unless larger ones were added later), but an exception to the rule is that of the Peltier house on West Lewis Street (Fig. 16), where the porch extends across the front. In contrast to the L-shape plan of the old Eckart residence, this is a simple oblong structure. However, the Italianate features mentioned above are evident here. It is unusual to find dormer windows in this type of architecture, especially when the roof is so flat, and one wonders if they were a part of the original scheme. I might point out that dormers ceased to appear after the Revolutionary War, and that one rarely sees them on Classic Revival or Italianate houses, whereas they often appear on steep-roofed Gothic Revival houses, on French Mansard and Neo-Jacobean residences. A more imposing veteran of this movement is the old Henry G. Olds mansion at West Berry and Ewing streets (Fig. 17), built in 1875. The flaring eaves are supported by unusually large and elaborate brackets, alternating with attic windows in the cornice. A large circular window in the center of the cornice, under an arched hood, is an unusual element. And the decorative treatment of window and door lintels is exceptionally opulent. The Olds mansion as well as the former Muhler home at 604 West Wayne Street (Fig. 18), appear to be based on Italian Renaissance palaces of the sixteenth century. Their fine scale and proportion, massive bulk, and exact symmetry strongly reflect such prototypes. The Muhler house has a projection, or pavilion, in the center which served as the base of a tower, which has been taken down. The entrance door 17 Figure 17. Henry G. Olds House, West Berry Street, 1875. Italianate. Photograph courtesy of Sidney Pepe. Figure 18. Charles F. Muhler House, West Wayne Street, ca. 1880. Italianate. Photograph courtesy of Sidney Pepe. 18 Figure 19. Foellinger-Lutes House, West Wildwood Avenue, ca. 1880. Tuscan. Photograph courtesy of Sidney Pepe. Figure 20. 835 West Berry. Neo-Jacobean. 19 also has been remodeled in recent years, and the small porches which flanked it have been removed. A good example of an Italianate house with a tower, sometimes referred to as the Tuscan, is the Foellinger-Lutes home at 447 West Wildwood Street (Fig. 19). The tower, based on the Italian campanile, is in the ell of the building, and not symmetrically placed as in the case of the Muhler house. All of the characteristics of the Italianate tradition, as pointed out above, are seen again here. Its informal plan and picturesque massing is in sharp contrast, however, to such houses as the Olds and Muhler. In the 1870's, when the Italianate movement reached its full maturity two other styles appeared. One was the French Mansard, characterized by the mansard roof and prominent dormer windows; the other was the Queen Anne Revival, as it was sometimes called. The latter was the typical house of the 1880's and 1890's, and there are numerous examples in Fort Wayne. Two names were given to this class of residential architecture by builders: Queen Anne and Eastlake. But apparently no one was sure what characterized each and the nomenclatures were confusing. I am referring to the movement here as Neo-Jacobean, since most of the elements incorporated in them were derived from late medieval English or Jacobean prototypes. The fundamental aim or tenet of this school was picturesque-ness and studied informality. Floor plans reveal a pleasant irregularity and lack of symmetry; instead of lucid, oblong blocks, the exteriors vary in massing; windows lack uniformity in their sizes and shapes; projecting bays add to the richness of the total effect; and the use of decoratively cut shingles enriches the exterior surfaces. Because of an unusual hip-roof treatment, combined with dormers, 20 gables and elaborate chimneys, their silhouettes are very irregular. The small house on West Berry (Fig. 20) is a typical example of the Neo-Jacobean trend. The characteristic features just mentioned are evident here. It will be noticed that the corners of the projecting unit at the left of the entrance have been beveled up to the gable in order to produce a bay with angular walls. A rich bargeboard and apex decoration add interest to the gable. In this period the front porch assumed special importance. Unlike the classic portico, it was composed of slender posts, turned or chamfered, with grills between the tops of the posts and railings below. They were usually called verandas, reminding us that the designs as well as the name came from the East Indies. The R. T. McDonald House at 924 West Wayne Street (Fig. 21) has a modest, scalloped bargeboard; the windows are basically English Tudor; and to increase the irregularity and fantasy of the exterior a bay was set at an angle to the corner at the observer's right. The projection at the left has the beveled corners, mentioned above, producing a bay with diagonal walls. The columns of the porch appear to be later, perhaps around 1920. The heavy square tower in the ell of the house at 919-923 West Washington Street (Fig. 22) is awkward in its scale and relation to the rest of the building. But here we have a good example of the elaborately carved and pierced "carpenter's lace" in the triangle of the gable. Over the windows are carved panels, which add to the decorative effect of exterior walls. At 903 West Berry Street (Fig. 23) we see another Neo-Jacobean house, somewhat different from the above. While basically it is not very dissimilar, 21 Figure 21. R. T. McDonald House, West Wayne Street, ca. 1890. Neo-Jacobean. Photograph courtesy of Sidney Pepe. Figure 22. 919-923 West Washington Street, 1890's. Neo-Jacobean. Photograph courtesy of Sidney Pepe. 22 Figure 23. 903 West Berry Street, 1890's. Neo-Jacobean. Figure 24. B. Paul Mossman House, presently the Fort Wayne Art School Museum, West Wayne Street. Romanesque, 1906. Photograph courtesy of the Art Museum. 23 the greater emphasis on verandas gives the exterior a different character. Posts, railings and grills are relatively slender and frail; the circular opening in the second-floor porch screen stems from East Indian or Saracenic sources. Similar "outlooks" are seen on houses of the same date throughout the state. The final type of nineteenth century architecture is the Romanesque Revival. It was based on medieval French buildings, particularly the chateau or fortified palace. As a consequence, the construction was solid, usually of roughened stone or brick, and the general effect was that of a stolid, heavy, and formidable house. Large round towers with conical roofs were the most striking features as a rule. The Art Museum on West Wayne Street (Fig. 24), formerly the B. Paul Mossman home, is a noble example of the Romanesque Revival trend. Built of large boulders and designed to appear indestructible, it reflects strikingly the aims of the architects who favored this style. The large semi-circular arch, spanning the porch, is closely related in design and ornamentation to prototypes of the Middle Ages, as are the short clustered columns which support it. Another good example in Fort Wayne is the old Bell residence (Fig. 25). Rusticated stone walls, appropriate carved Romanesque details around arches and windows, and an exceptionally attractive door combine to produce an effective architectural statement within the limits of the Romanesque Revival idiom. The old Ely Hoffman house at West Wayne Street and Broadway (Fig. 26) is another good example. It is built of red sandstone, the stone carver being a man named Geale who came from England. In addition to the well proportioned round tower at the left, with a conical roof, the architect has added a turret on the right corner. A dormer in the center of 24 the roof assumes the form of a Tudor gable. Decorative details, both inside and out, are in keeping with the Romanesque tradition derived from medieval buildings. All of these Romanesque Revival houses were built between 1880 and 1910. The Ely Hoffman place dates around 1887, and the Art Museum is said to have been finished in 1906. The architects who were responsible for designing most of them were J. F. Wing and Marshall S. Mahurin. Wilbur D. Peat 25 Figure 25. Robert C. Bell House—Klaehn Funeral Home, West Wayne Street. Romanesque Revival, ca. 1890. Photograph courtesy of Klaehn Funeral Home. Figure 26. Ely Hoffman House, West Wayne Street, ca. 1887. Romanesque Revival. Photograph courtesy of Sidney Pepe. 26 |
Description
| Title | 19th century domestic architecture of allen county indiana |
| Publisher | Allen County Public Library |
| Type | |
| Rights | http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/rights.html |