Dr. John and Gerda Meyer House

Last updated

Dr. John and Gerda Meyer House
Meyer House -Living Area.JPG
Living space
USA Indiana location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location360 West Fairwater Ave., Beverly Shores, Indiana
Coordinates 41°41′33″N86°58′46″W / 41.69250°N 86.97944°W / 41.69250; -86.97944
Arealess than 1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built1961 (1961)
Built byTonn and Blank
ArchitectOlin, Harold B.
Architectural styleInternational Style
NRHP reference No. 12000974 [1]
Added to NRHPNovember 28, 2012

The Dr. John and Gerda Meyer House is an International Style designed home, in an appropriate setting on the ridge of sand dune in the lakeside resort community of Beverly Shores, Indiana. The house has a lower level that opens to the rear (south) side of the dune; the house's main level is located at the top of the dune and overlooks Lake Michigan, which is to its north. A small patio is located on the north side of the house. A staircase that is made of wood connects the patio to the base of the sand dune and Lake Front Drive. A concrete driveway and terraced wood steps connect the south side of the house to Fairwater Drive, at the base of the sand dune. [2]

Contents

Description

The lot straddles a sand dune on the south side of West Lake Front Drive. Dr. Meyer and Mr. Harold Olin, the architect for the house, planted 1,000 saplings on the lot after the house was constructed. These included several white pine trees. The intent was for native vegetation to protect the dune from erosion. A wood staircase is located on the north slope of the sand dune. It connects the house to the street below; however it is badly deteriorated. [2] Flagstones were placed on the ground on the north side of the house to create a small patio area. Flagstones were used for a path and stepping-stones around the northwest and northeast corners. A knoll has a terrace wall composed of flagstones on the east side of the brick wall. [2] A short concrete sidewalk is on the east side of the house supported by brick walls that are part of the house's lower level walls. The stone path connects the steps to the parking area on the south side of the house. A retaining wall composed of flagstones is located on the east side of the steps and stone path. [2]

The south side of the house has a concrete parking area between the house and Fairwater Drive. The parking area is steeply pitched because it is on the side of the dune. A long walkway composed of terraced wood steps leads from the house to the base of the sand dune. It has wood posts on its west side; the posts once had a rope handrail. [2]

Exterior

South face of the John and Gerda Meyer House, Beverly Shores, Indiana Meyer House front.JPG
South face of the John and Gerda Meyer House, Beverly Shores, Indiana

The configuration is a small rectangular, two-story box with a flat roof. An early addition was created on the northwest corner of the house. Materials chosen for the construction of the home are contextual with the landscape. The house's lower level walls are composed of dark brown colored bricks. [2]

This forms a "base" on which the main level appears to float. The main level is covered with redwood heartwood siding, installed vertically and stained to mimic weathered driftwood. There are large sections of glass windows and doors. The windows and doors have thin metal sashes and wood casings. A tall trim board separates the lower level from the main level between the brick walls and wood siding. The roof appears like a flat plane. The roof is supported by wood rafters spaced 10 feet (3.0 m) on center. The rafters continue through the tops of the walls and support wide overhanging eaves. The owners used the roof as a rooftop deck for viewing the lake. [2]

Upper level of the Meyer House, Beverly Shores, Indiana. Meyer House (Upper Level).jpg
Upper level of the Meyer House, Beverly Shores, Indiana.

The south elevation has the clearest appearance of a two-story house because the lower level, which is pushed into the south side of the dune. The upper level of the house overhangs the lower level. the lower level has a wood door with a full window on its west side. A wood side-lite with a full window is on the east side of the door. A sidewalk is in front of this section of wall. A soffit with recessed lighting is against the top of the wall over the sidewalk. This area, which is sheltered by the main level above, functions as a carport. The area west of the brick wall extension was a covered patio with a concrete floor. It was enclosed with metal and glass patio doors. The enclosed patio has patio doors in the east side of its north wall; this was originally an exterior wall. [2]

Significance

Interior stairway of the John and Gerda Meyer House, Beverly Shores, Indiana Meyer House - Stairwell.JPG
Interior stairway of the John and Gerda Meyer House, Beverly Shores, Indiana

The house is an example of the style that has been skillfully blended with its contextual landscape. The house is remarkably intact with distinctive features of the style. An addition was created early in the house's history and was designed by the architect who designed the original house for the Meyers. The addition seamlessly connects to the original house by the use of matching materials and general scale. [2]

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

The Rio Grande Ranch Headquarters Historic District is a historic one-story residence located 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Okay in Wagoner County, Oklahoma. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places September 9, 1992. The site's Period of Significance is 1910 to 1935, and it qualified for listing under NRHP criteria A and C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas R. McGuire House</span> Historic house in Arkansas, United States

The Thomas R. McGuire House, located at 114 Rice Street in the Capitol View Historic District of Little Rock, Arkansas, is a unique interpretation of the Colonial Revival style of architecture. Built by Thomas R. McGuire, a master machinist with the Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad, it is the finest example of the architectural style in the turn-of-the-century neighborhood. It is rendered from hand-crafted or locally manufactured materials and serves as a triumph in concrete block construction. Significant for both its architecture and engineering, the property was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 19, 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beth David Synagogue (Amenia, New York)</span> Reform synagogue in Armenia, New York (state), US

Beth David Synagogue, formally Congregation Beth David, is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue located at 3344 East Main Street in the hamlet of Amenia, New York, in the United States. It is a small brick European-style building erected in the late 1920s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clackamas Lake Ranger Station Historic District</span> Historic district in Oregon, United States

The Clackamas Lake Ranger Station Historic District is a Forest Service compound consisting of eleven historic buildings located in the Mount Hood National Forest in the Cascade Mountains of northern Oregon. It was originally built as a district ranger station for the Clackamas Lake Ranger District. It was later converted to a summer guard station. Today, the Forest Service rents the historic ranger's residence to recreational visitors. The Clackamas Lake Ranger Station is listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James A. Redden Federal Courthouse</span> United States historic place

The James A. Redden Federal Courthouse, formerly the United States Post Office and Courthouse, is a federal courthouse located in Medford, Jackson County, Oregon, United States. Completed in 1916 under the supervision of architect Oscar Wenderoth, it houses the United States District Court for the District of Oregon. A substantial extension was completed in 1940, under the supervision of architect, Louis A. Simon. In September 1996, the United States Senate enacted a bill introduced by Oregon Senator Mark Hatfield to rename the building for long-serving District Court judge James A. Redden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed Edmondson United States Courthouse</span> United States historic place

The Ed Edmondson United States Courthouse, previously called the Muskogee Federal Building- United States Courthouse, is a historic government building in Muskogee, Oklahoma. It was built in 1915 as a post office and federal courthouse. Although it is no longer used as a post office, it is currently in use by several government offices, including the U.S. Marshals and U.S. Probation Office as well as the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake of the Woods Ranger Station</span> United States historic place

The Lake of the Woods Ranger Station is a United States Forest Service compound consisting of eight buildings overlooking Lake of the Woods in the Fremont-Winema National Forests of southern Oregon. All of the ranger station structures were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps between 1937 and 1939. Today, the compound serves as a Forest Service work center, and the old ranger station office is a visitor center. The ranger station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strauther Pleak Round Barn</span> United States historic place

The Strauther Pleak Round Barn, also known as the "Pleak-Morgan Barn", is a round barn near Greensburg, Indiana, United States in Washington Township. Built in 1914, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. The barn is part of farmstead with a circa 1940 Indiana limestone ranch house, smoke house, spring house and garage. The main drive is looped enclosing a pen with a chicken coop and smaller barn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson Park Town Site Addition Brick Row</span> United States historic place

Jackson Park Town Site Addition Brick Row is a group of three historic houses and two frame garages located on the west side of the 300 block of South Third Street in Lander, Wyoming. Two of the homes were built in 1917, and the third in 1919. The properties were added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 27, 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Unitarian Church of Hobart</span> Historic church in Indiana, United States

First Unitarian Church of Hobart is the oldest Unitarian Church in Indiana, and the oldest church still occupied by its original congregation in the city of Hobart. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 9, 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buford Tower</span> Historic structure in Austin, Texas

Buford Tower is a tower standing along the north shore of Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin, Texas. The structure was originally built in 1930 as a drill tower for the Austin Fire Department, but it now serves as a bell tower and landmark. Named after fire department Captain James L. Buford, the structure has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bowers Harbor Inn</span> Historic house in Michigan, United States

The Bowers Harbor Inn is a restaurant located at 13512 Peninsula Drive in Peninsula Township, Michigan. It was constructed in 1928 as a private house, the Stickney Summer House, and renovated into the restaurant in the late 1950s; it now houses the Mission Table and Jolly Pumpkin Restaurants. The site overlooks the waters of Bowers Harbor, an inlet of Grand Traverse Bay. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windway</span> Historic house in Wisconsin, United States

Windway is an historic residential property located north of Kohler, Wisconsin. It was built in 1937–1938 by Walter J. Kohler, Jr., future governor of Wisconsin and an executive of the Kohler Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everel S. Smith House</span> Historic house in Indiana, United States

The Everel S. Smith House is located on the northeast corner of West Jefferson Street and Clyborn Avenue in Westville, Indiana and is set well back from the streets it fronts. The yard is landscaped with four large maples and one medium size tulip tree equally spaced along the road. There is an enclosed garden with patio on the west side beginning at the back of the bay and extending north and west. The house faces south and is of two story, red brick construction with ivory painted wood trim. Its design is Italianate with a single story wing on the north (rear) side. There is a hip roof on the main section capped by a widow's walk with a wrought iron fence around its perimeter. A gable is centered on a short extension of the center, front wall which has a limestone block with beveled corners set in its center above the second story windows that is inscribed with the date 1879. There is a black, cast, spread eagle below the inscribed stone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">E. Payne Palmer House</span> Historic house in Arizona, United States

The E. Payne Palmer House is a Gordon-Van Tine "Brentwood" model of a catalog kit house, or pre-cut house, that was built in 1925 on Central Avenue in Phoenix, Arizona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Menno Yoder Polygonal Barn</span> United States historic place

The Menno Yoder barn is one of the two remaining poured concrete polygonal barns in the United States state of Indiana. Built on the outskirts of Shipshewana in 1908 by Menno Yoder, this twelve-sided barn has been expanded upon. It is known as the Brown Swiss Dairy barn. A gravel drive extends to the barn, passing the 1911 concrete farmhouse. The polygonal barn consists of the original 1908 twelve-sided barn, a 1911 attached silo, a c.1920 rectangular addition, and a 1960s one story addition. Next to the barn is a free standing c.1950 milk house.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Imre and Maria Horner House</span> Historic house in Indiana, United States

The Horner House is a historic house at 2 Merrivale Street in Beverly Shores, Indiana. It is an excellent example of the mid-twentieth century architectural movement known as the International Style, interpreted by architects like Marcel Breuer, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Walter Gropius and Philip Johnson for buildings constructed in America following World War II. It is the work of a master artist of the second generation to be influenced by this school, the Swiss architect and designer, Otto Kolb.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bartlett Real Estate Office</span> United States historic place

The Bartlett Real Estate Office, also called the Frederick Bartlett Real Estate sales and administration building, was built in 1927 at 500 S. Broadway, Beverly Shores, Porter County, Indiana. It is Mediterranean Revival style. Bartlett also chose this style for the houses in his new development of Beverly Shores. Since 1946, it has served as the Beverly Shores Administration Building, with the clerk-treasurer's office, a public and town council meeting room, and the town marshal's office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry M. and Annie V. Trueheart House</span> United States historic place

The Henry M. and Annie V. Trueheart House is a residence of historic significance located in the town of Fort Davis, the seat and largest town of Jeff Davis County in the U.S. state of Texas. The house was built in 1898 and, along with the surrounding property, was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1996. The Trueheart House has also been distinguished as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark (RTHL) since 1964.

Huizhou architecture is one of the traditional Chinese architecture styles, which prevailed mostly in the historical Huizhou prefecture of Anhui, China as a critical element of Huizhou culture. The architecture uses bricks, woods and stone as raw materials, timber frames as significant structures. The bearing structure is a wooden beam, and parapet walls are made of bricks, rocks, and soils. The central room is decorated with painted beams, sculpted roof, and carved eaves with skylights. The technical features and style of Hui-style architecture majorly occur in residential houses, ancestral temples, joss houses, archways, memorial gates, and gardens. The architecture reflects mountainous features of the area and a geomantic omen of traditional Chinese religions.

References

  1. "Weekly list of actions taken on properties: 11/26/12 through 11/30/12". National Park Service. December 7, 2012. Archived from the original on January 12, 2014. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Indiana State Historic Architectural and Archaeological Research Database (SHAARD)" (Searchable database). Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology. Retrieved June 1, 2016.Note: This includes Garner, Kurt West (March 2012). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Dr. John and Gerda Meyer House" (PDF). Retrieved June 1, 2016. and Accompanying photographs.