House of Tomorrow | |
![]() House of Tomorrow, Century of Progress Architectural District | |
![]() Interactive map of the house (marked in red) among the others in the district | |
Location | 214 Lake Front Dr., Beverly Shores, Indiana |
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Coordinates | 41°41′3″N87°0′6″W / 41.68417°N 87.00167°W |
Built | 1933 |
Architect | George Fred Keck [1] |
Part of | Beverly Shores-Century of Progress Architectural District (ID86001472 [2] ) |
Added to NRHP | June 30, 1986 |
The House of Tomorrow is a historic building in the Century of Progress Architectural District in Beverly Shores, Indiana. The house was originally part of Chicago's 1933-34 Century of Progress Exposition. Designed as the house of the future, this house included its own airplane hangar. Glass walls offered views from every angle and so taxed the experimental air conditioning system that the cooling system failed. [3]
The House of Tomorrow was built for the Century of Progress' 1933 Homes of Tomorrow Exhibition in Chicago, Illinois. Architect George Fred Keck's design reflected European modernism. The design conveyed the ideals of the fair and its emphasis on science and technology. [4] Keck said he 'discovered' solar heating when he found workers inside the house wearing only shirtsleeves on a frigid winter day. [5] [6]
After the close of the Century of Progress, the structure was sold to Robert Bartlett for $2,500. Bartlett was developing a resort community in Beverly Shores, Indiana. The house was placed on a barge and moved across Lake Michigan to Indiana. In April 1938, Bartlett sold the house to become a private residence. [7]
The building is a three-story dodecagon, 42 feet in diameter. It was built using aluminum fascia with vermiculite interior walls. Plate glass walls are the most notable feature of the building. An airplane hangar was included, set four feet lower than the ground floor. [8] When the house was moved to Beverly Shores, the ground floor was modified to make use of the garage and airplane hangar for living space. A carport was added. Windows were modified so that the occupants could open and close them to control the internal environment. [9] The interior is designed around a central staircase in the dodecagonal prism structure. Most rooms are wedge shaped.
Keck's inspiration for the house came from an 1854 octagon house in his hometown of Watertown, Wisconsin.
Restoration efforts on the House of Tomorrow House were started in 1997, with the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and Indiana Landmarks searching for potential lessees to restore the building. [10] As of 2011, the Park Service is once again looking for a long-term renter to complete the restoration of the property. The previous renter vacated the property after the restoration cost estimates exceeded previous budgeted amounts. The current restoration cost is estimated at $2 million. The restoration professionals were identified in March 2017. [11]
The House of Tomorrow was named a National Treasure [12] by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in October 2016.
In February 2019, the Indiana Landmarks group announced that it was looking for someone to restore the House of Tomorrow, which it estimated would cost about $3 million. If a qualified person does the restoration, they will be granted a 50-year lease on the house. [13]
In 2023, the House of Tomorrow received a $2 million grant from the Great American Outdoors Act, funded through the United States Department of the Interior. [14] This grant will fund the first phase of rehabilitation which is expected to begin in spring of 2024. [15]
A Century of Progress International Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States, from 1933 to 1934. The fair, registered under the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), celebrated the city's centennial. Designed largely in Art Deco style, the theme of the fair was technological innovation, and its motto was "Science Finds, Industry Applies, Man Conforms", trumpeting the message that science and American life were wedded. Its architectural symbol was the Sky Ride, a transporter bridge perpendicular to the shore on which one could ride from one side of the fair to the other.
Beverly Shores is a town in Pine Township, Porter County, Indiana, United States, about 36 miles (58 km) east of downtown Chicago. The population was 613 at the 2010 census.
Indiana Dunes National Park is a United States national park located in northwestern Indiana managed by the National Park Service. It was authorized by Congress in 1966 as the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and was redesignated as the nation's 61st national park on February 15, 2019. The park runs for about 20 miles (32 km) along the southern shore of Lake Michigan and covers 15,349 acres (6,212 ha). Along the lakefront, the eastern area is roughly the lake shore south to U.S. 12 or U.S. 20 between Michigan City, Indiana, on the east and the Cleveland-Cliffs steel plant on the west. This area's conservation scheme is enhanced by the older Indiana Dunes State Park. To the west of the steel plant lies West Beach and a small extension south of the steel mill continues west along Salt Creek to Indiana 249. The western area is roughly the shoreline south to U.S. 12 between the Burns Ditch west to Broadway in downtown Gary, Indiana. In addition, there are several outlying areas, including Pinhook Bog, in LaPorte County to the east; the Heron Rookery in Porter County, the center of the park; and the Hoosier Prairie State Nature Preserve and the Hobart Prairie Grove, both in Lake County, the western end of the park.
Plum Island Airport, in Newbury, Massachusetts, is a privately owned, public-use airport owned by Historic New England and operated by Plum Island Aerodrome, Inc., a non-profit corporation. It has two runways, averages 54 flights per week, and has approximately 8 based aircraft.
U.S. Route 12 (US 12) is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs from Aberdeen, Washington, to Detroit, Michigan. In the U.S. state of Indiana, it is part of the state road system. US 12 enters the state concurrent with US 20 and US 41 in Whiting. The 46.258 miles (74.445 km) of US 12 that lie within Indiana serve as a major conduit. Some of the highway is listed on the National Highway System (NHS). Various sections are rural two-lane highway, urbanized four-lane undivided highway, and one-way streets. The easternmost community along the highway is Michiana Shores at the Michigan state line.
The Homes of Tomorrow Exhibition was part of the 1933 Chicago World's Fair. The Fair's theme that year was a Century of Progress, and celebrated man's innovations in architecture, science, technology and transportation. The "Homes of Tomorrow" exhibition was one of the most noteworthy exhibits of the Fair, and showcased man's modern innovations in architecture, design, and building materials.
Cowles Bog is a 4,000-year-old wetland complex in Indiana Dunes National Park, near Chesterton, Indiana. It is named for Henry Chandler Cowles who did his pioneering work in ecology and ecological succession here. His work brought international attention to the area which led to efforts to preserve the Indiana Dunes. It was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1965. It contains bog, fen, marsh, wet meadow, swamp, and pond habitats.
Beverly Shores is a train station in Beverly Shores, Indiana, served by the South Shore Line interurban commuter railroad. The station serves the town of Beverly Shores as well as the nearby Town of Pines. It is a flag stop.
Miller Beach is a neighborhood of Gary, Indiana on the southernmost shore of Lake Michigan. First settled in 1851, Miller Beach was originally an independent town. However, the "Town of Miller" was eventually annexed by the then flourishing city of Gary in 1918. Located in the northeastern corner of Lake County, Indiana, the former town is now known as "The Miller Beach Community." Miller Beach borders Lake Michigan to the north, Porter County to the east, and is largely surrounded by protected lands, including Indiana Dunes National Park. Miller Beach is also the closest beach/resort community to Chicago, and has been a popular vacation spot since the early 20th century. As of the 2000 US census, it had a population of 9,900.
The Florida Tropical House is a beach house located on Lake Michigan's shoreline in Beverly Shores, Indiana, US. It was built in 1933 as part of the Homes of Tomorrow Exhibition at the 1933 World's Fair in nearby Chicago. Today it is part of the Century of Progress Architectural District, a historic district.
The Century of Progress Architectural District is a historic district in Beverly Shores, Indiana. The district is on Lake Shore Drive within the Indiana Dunes National Park. The district comprises five buildings, all from the Homes of Tomorrow Exhibition of the 1933 Century of Progress World's Fair which took place in Chicago. Intended to display the future of housing, the Century of Progress Homes reflect a variety of designs, experimental materials and new technologies. On June 30, 1986, the district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Beverly Shores–Century of Progress Architectural District.
The Armco-Ferro House, in the Century of Progress Architectural District in Beverly Shores, Indiana, was originally constructed for the 1933 Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago. "The ... Exposition opened in May of 1933 directed by the theme of science and its role in industrial advancement. Within the Home and Industrial Arts Group were model houses, which featured modern materials, building methods and innovative home appliances, including the Armco-Ferro-Mayflower, Wieboldt-Rostone and Florida Tropical houses, and the House of Tomorrow. All utilized new techniques of design, construction and prefabrication in an attempt to bring the out-of-date housing industry in line with more efficient manufacturing practices such as those used by the auto industry." The Home and Industrial Arts Group was the most successful venue of the Exposition. The Armco-Ferro House was designed by Robert Smith, Jr., of Cleveland, Ohio. It is the only remaining example from the exposition that met the Fair Committee's design criteria; a house that could be mass-produced and was affordable for an American family of modest means..
From research completed by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS): The Ferro Enamel Corporation, one of the two major sponsors for the ... house, was formed in 1930 by a merger between the Ferro Enameling Company and the Ferro Enamel and Supply Co. The idea of using porcelain enamel for residential construction was introduced by Bob Weaver, president of the newly formed company. Shortly after the merger, Charles Bacon Rowley, architect, designed a four-person house with Ferro-Enamel shingles that the company erected in Cleveland, Ohio, in July 1932.31 Despite the innovative use of ferroenamel as a cladding material, the house was built using conventional wood construction. The first porcelain-enameled frameless steel house was completed ... in South Euclid, Ohio ... Like the Armco-Ferro house, this house was designed by Robert Smith, Jr., and was built by Insulated Steel Corporation; ... In 1932, the American Rolling Mill Company (Armco) ... built a second porcelainenameled frameless steel house ... using Robert Smith, Jr. as architect. The Ferro Enamel Corporation and the Insulated Steel Construction Company collaborated with Armco, thus setting the stage for the partnership that made the Century of Progress home possible.
The Wieboldt-Rostone House is a historic building in the Century of Progress Architectural District in Beverly Shores, Indiana. The home was built in 1933, framed in steel, and clad with an artificial stone called Rostone. Billed as never needing repairs, it only lasted without renovations until the 1950s.
Both the Cypress Log Cabin and the Cypress Guest house are historic buildings in the Century of Progress Architectural District in Beverly Shores, Indiana. The houses were sponsored by Southern Cypress Manufacturer's Association, Jacksonville, Florida. The Cypress Cabin was purchased by the Zimmernam Estate represented by Zimmerman, Saxe and MacBride, Chicago architects. It was planned to move the house to St. Joseph, Michigan, where it was to be a summer home near the Bolton exhibit building of the 1893 Columbian Exposition. The move included the Cabin, Guest House and other landscape elements. That move never happened and Robert Bartlett trucked the Cabin and Guest House to Beverly Shores. Bartlett owned the property until 1942, when sold it to Ida J. Osterburg. The house changed owners several times, until it was purchased by the National Park Service in October 1970, becoming part of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
George Frederick Keck (1895–1980) was an American modernist architect based in Chicago, Illinois. He was later assisted in his practice by his brother William Keck to form the firm of Keck & Keck.
The Indiana Dunes are natural sand dunes occurring at the southern end of Lake Michigan in the American State of Indiana. They are known for their ecological significance. Many conservationists have played a role in preserving parts of the Indiana Dunes. The Hour Glass, a museum in Ogden Dunes, showcases some of the ecological import of the Dunes.
Robert Paul Schweikher (1903–1997) was a mid-century modern architect from Denver, Colorado.
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.
Dunes Creek is a northwards-flowing 4.3-mile-long (6.9 km) stream which drains the Great Marsh of Indiana Dunes State Park and Indiana Dunes National Park in Porter County, Indiana, United States. Dunes Creek passes through the coastal sand dunes to empty into Lake Michigan.