Robert C. and Bettie J. (Sponseller) Metcalf House

Last updated
Robert C. and Bettie J. (Sponseller) Metcalf House
Robert C. and Bettie J. Sponseller Metcalf House.jpg
Location1052 Arlington Blvd
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Coordinates 42°16′8″N83°42′31″W / 42.26889°N 83.70861°W / 42.26889; -83.70861 (Robert C. and Bettie J. (Sponseller) Metcalf House)
Built1952 (1952)
Built byBettie and Robert Metcalf
ArchitectRobert C. Metcalf
Architectural style International Style
NRHP reference No. 16000910 [1]
Added to NRHPDecember 27, 2016

The Robert C. and Bettie J. (Sponseller) Metcalf House is a single-family home located at 1052 Arlington Boulevard in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The International Style house, designed, constructed, and occupied for decades by Robert and Bettie Metcalf, is the first example of Robert Metcalf's designs in the broader mid-century modern style.

Contents

The Metcalf House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016, [1] and is currently a private residence. [2]

Biography

Robert Clarence Metcalf was born in Nashville, Ohio in 1923. His family moved to Canton, Ohio and then the nearby North Industry, where Metcalf graduated from high school. Determined to be an architect, he went on to the University of Michigan, starting classes in 1941. World War II interrupted, however, and Metcalf enlisted in the United States Army in 1943. He was promoted to Staff Sergeant and eventually commissioned in 1945, receiving a Silver Star the same year. After returning home in 1946, Metcalf resumed his studies and began working for his mentor, George B. Brigham. [1] :8–9

Bettie Jane Sponseller was born in Canton, Ohio in 1921. [3] Sponseller met Metcalf in high school, [4] and later studied at the Aultman Hospital School of Nursing, graduating in 1942. [5] Sponseller and Metcalf married in May 1943. Following the conclusion of Robert's studies in 1950, the couple decided to stay in Ann Arbor, and Robert set out to open his own architecture practice. [1] :8

To establish his architecture practice, Robert Metcalf decided to design and build his own house. His outlook for the architecture practice was positive, as his mentor's designs were popular with university faculty. Postwar population growth in Ann Arbor had resulted in a shortage of housing, and financing for experimental projects was readily available from a local savings and loan association, which in Metcalf's words was "willing to loan money on what many people considered chicken coops." [6] Metcalf's practice, based in the house's garage, won its first commission while their residence was still under construction, and was soon busy enough that he hired assistants. Bettie left her nursing career to manage the firm, which in 1967 moved from a rented office to a building designed by Metcalf on Medford Road. [1] :10

Robert Metcalf joined the University of Michigan's department of architecture in 1955, became chair of the department in 1968, and dean of the new College of Architecture and Urban Planning in 1974. The firm's work totaled over 150 projects in Michigan and Ohio, including 68 houses in Ann Arbor, [7] from its first commission in 1953 to its closure in 2008. [4]

Bettie J. Metcalf died in February 2008, [3] and Robert died in January 2017. [8] [4]

Design and construction

By 1950, Robert and Bettie Metcalf were tired of Ann Arbor apartment living, and the couple sought to build a house for themselves. Bettie searched for a parcel of land to build on, initially favoring then-inexpensive parcels on the west side of Ann Arbor. [4] The available properties were still out of the Metcalfs' reach, and Bettie eventually located a 12-acre (0.20 ha) parcel on Arlington Boulevard, then east of the Ann Arbor city limits, for $1,100, equivalent to $11,000in 2023. [9] [6]

With land secured, Robert Metcalf began design work on the house. As his first major architectural work, Metcalf spent over 800 hours on the design process for the house, seeking to prove to himself that he could account for the entire workflow of a construction project. [6] The Metcalfs, neither of whom had a background in construction, planned to construct the house with as much of their own labor as possible, and chose materials and designs accordingly. The design emphasized a connection with nature, with large southeast-facing windows that also supported a passive solar design. The original designs specified a rain garden in the backyard, capturing runoff from the house's flat roof. [7]

Another major consideration in the design was energy efficiency. Underfloor radiant heating provides climate control, underlaying Chicago common brick floors. [1] The design uses few interior doors, which supports the aesthetic principles of the International Style design, and also allows for passive cooling in the summer. Design work for the house, which also specified the furnishings, took approximately one year before construction began in April 1952. [4]

Bettie and Robert Metcalf performed much of the construction work themselves. The couple built the house during evenings and weekends, after their day jobs, and held picnics at the worksite regardless of the season. By the time the house was finished in May 1953, the architecture practice had its first commission, and four more commissions followed by the end of that year. [6]

The interior of the house was expanded in 1972 and 1987, and a new 2-car garage was built in 2010. These additions increased the house's interior area from 1,080 sq ft (100 m2) to over 2,200 sq ft (200 m2). [1] :3

Description

The Robert and Bettie Metcalf House is a one-story, flat-roof, International Style house constructed of wood, steel and concrete. The exterior is clad in glass curtain walls and vertical cedar wood siding. It is a rectilinear structure of approximately 2,600 square feet (240 m2), [2] resting on cinder block walls and reinforced concrete footings. [1] :4

The main facade exhibits alternating roof heights, forming three masses: a roof above the entry and the garage at one elevation, and the roof above the living area at a higher elevation. Clerestory ribbon windows here separate the wall plane from the roof, creating the effect of a floating roof. The dark cedar wood of the walls contrasts with the white of the roof planes. A flush front door flanked by a floor-to-ceiling sidelight is covered by a roof extension, supported by columns, for protection. [1] :4

The interior is generally open plan, with the public areas defined by partitions and built-in furnishings. It has a living/dining area, kitchen, study, and two bedrooms. [1] :5

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robie House</span> U.S. National Historic Landmark in Chicago

The Frederick C. Robie House is a historic house designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1908-09 and constructed in 1909-10. It is located in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, on the campus of the University of Chicago. Robie House is regarded as a high point of the Prairie Style and marks the end of Wright’s Oak Park years, an incredibly creative and productive twenty-year period that has been called his first golden age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Breakers</span> Vanderbilt mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, US

The Breakers is a Gilded Age mansion located at 44 Ochre Point Avenue, Newport, Rhode Island, US. It was built between 1893 and 1895 as a summer residence for Cornelius Vanderbilt II, a member of the wealthy Vanderbilt family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interior design</span> Design of interior spaces to benefit its occupants

Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. With a keen eye for detail and a creative flair, an interior designer is someone who plans, researches, coordinates, and manages such enhancement projects. Interior design is a multifaceted profession that includes conceptual development, space planning, site inspections, programming, research, communicating with the stakeholders of a project, construction management, and execution of the design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawaiian architecture</span>

Hawaiian architecture is a distinctive architectural style developed and employed primarily in the Hawaiian Islands. Though based on imported Western styles, unique Hawaiian traits make Hawaiian architecture stand alone against other styles. Hawaiian architecture reflects the history of the islands from antiquity through the kingdom era, from its territorial years to statehood and beyond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Craftsman</span> Architectural style

American Craftsman is an American domestic architectural style, inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement, which included interior design, landscape design, applied arts, and decorative arts, beginning in the last years of the 19th century. Its immediate ancestors in American architecture are the Shingle style, which began the move away from Victorian ornamentation toward simpler forms, and the Prairie style of Frank Lloyd Wright.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tower Plaza (Ann Arbor, Michigan)</span> Condominium building

Tower Plaza is a high-rise condominium building in Ann Arbor, Michigan, located at 555 East William Street. The building was first proposed in 1965, and opened in 1969. It stands at 26 stories. The antenna stands at 292 feet tall and the roof is 267 feet (81 m) tall. It was designed in the international style of architecture, primarily using concrete and glass. Originally a residential apartment building, it was converted to individually-owned condominiums in 1987. Tower Plaza also has the most buttons of any elevator in Ann Arbor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan Governor's Mansion</span> Building in Michigan, United States

The Michigan Governor's Mansion and summer residence are located in the U.S. state of Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Virginia Governor's Mansion</span> United States historic place

The West Virginia Governor's Mansion is a historic residence located next to the Kanawha River in Charleston, West Virginia and is the official residence of the governor of West Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward R. Hills House</span> Historic house in Illinois, United States

The Edward R. Hills House, also known as the Hills–DeCaro House, is a residence located at 313 Forest Avenue in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois. It is most notable for a 1906 remodel by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in his signature Prairie style. The Hills–DeCaro House represents the melding of two distinct phases in Wright's career; it contains many elements of both the Prairie style and the designs with which Wright experimented throughout the 1890s. The house is listed as a contributing property to a federal historic district on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and is a local Oak Park Landmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerald B. and Beverley Tonkens House</span> Historic house in Ohio, United States

The Gerald B. and Beverley Tonkens House, also known as the Tonkens House, is a single story private residence designed by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1954. The house was commissioned by Gerald B. Tonkens and his first wife Rosalie. It is located in Amberley Village, a village in Hamilton County, Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvey P. Sutton House</span> Historic house in Nebraska, United States

The Harvey P. Sutton House, also known as the H.P. Sutton House, is a six-bedroom, 4,000-square-foot (370 m2) Frank Lloyd Wright designed Prairie School home at 602 Norris Avenue in McCook, Nebraska. Although the house is known by her husband's name, Eliza Sutton was the driving force behind the commissioning of Wright for the design in 1905–1907 and the construction of the house in 1907–1908.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles J. and Ingrid V. (Frendberg) Koebel House</span> Historic house in Michigan, United States

The Charles J. and Ingrid V. (Frendberg) Koebel House is a private house located at 203 Cloverly Road in Grosse Pointe Farms. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian Village District</span> Historic district in California, United States

The Russian Village District comprises 15 folk architecture style houses and was built by Konstanty ("Steve") Stys, a Polish immigrant, and others during the Great Depression. It is located at the intersection of South Mills Avenue and East Cucamonga Avenue in Claremont, California. Although the street addresses are in Claremont, portions of many of the parcels in the district lie within the city of Montclair in San Bernardino County. The historic district was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tivadar and Dorothy Balogh House</span> Historic house in Michigan, United States

The Tivadar and Dorothy Balogh House is a private house located at 49800 Joy Road in Plymouth Township, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dr. Robert Hohf House</span> Historic house in Illinois, United States

The Dr. Robert Hohf House is an International Style residence near Kenilworth, Illinois, United States. Built in 1957, it was designed by George Fred Keck and William Keck, Architects, in collaboration with Evanston Hospital surgeon Dr. Robert Hohf. It is considered a particularly fine example of post-World War II architecture around Kenilworth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis G. Redstone Residential Historic District</span> Historic district in Michigan, United States

The Louis G. Redstone Residential Historic District consists of three houses located at 19303, 19309 and 19315 Appoline Street in the Greenwich Park neighborhood in northwest Detroit. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ann Arbor Bus Depot</span> Bus station in Ann Arbor, Michigan

The Ann Arbor Bus Depot was an intercity bus station located at 116 W. Huron in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was built in 1940 as the Eastern Michigan Motorbus Terminal, and operated as a bus station until its demolition in 2014. It was designed by the Cleveland-based architects Banfield and Cumming, in partnership with Ann Arbor architect Douglas Loree, in an Art Deco style. Between 1988 and 2001, it was listed as an Individual Historic Property on the Ann Arbor Register of Historic Places. The Bus Depot was demolished in 2014 to make way for a six-story, 110-room hotel on the property, although its facade and marquee are being preserved and will be incorporated into the new hotel. It served as Ann Arbor's Greyhound station until shortly before its demolition in 2014. It was also both the last surviving example of Streamline Moderne architecture and the last public Art Deco structure in Ann Arbor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Anderson House</span> United States historic place

The William Anderson House is a single-family house located at 2301 Packard Street in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Built around 1853 for William Anderson, the first Washtenaw County Sheriff, the house is a well-preserved surviving example of Greek Revival architecture in Southeast Michigan. It is owned by Genesis of Ann Arbor, a joint Jewish-Christian house of worship that has used the Anderson House for its food bank program since 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delta Upsilon Fraternity House (Ann Arbor, Michigan)</span> United States historic place

The Delta Upsilon Fraternity House is a fraternity house located at 1331 Hill Street in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl and Virginia Young House</span> Historic house in California, United States

The Earl and Virginia Young House, also known as the Young-Sartorette House, stands as a historic residence in Campbell, California. Constructed in 1928, it served as the home for Earl Young, a successful orchard farmer in the Santa Clara Valley, and his family. The house is historically significant in the Tudor Revival architectural style, which gained popularity in the mid-twentieth century. In 1981, the Herz family relocated both the house and garage to prevent them from potential demolition. The Young-Sartorette House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 8, 2009.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Yallop, Robert; Walsh, Todd (May 2013). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Robert C. and Bettie J. (Sponseller) Metcalf House".
  2. 1 2 Slagter, Lauren (May 4, 2017). "A look inside architect Robert Metcalf's midcentury modern home, listed for $749,900". MLive. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  3. 1 2 "Obituaries: Metcalf, Bettie J.". The Ann Arbor News. February 17, 2008. p. A8 via NewsBank.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Donovan Jarvis, Kate; Riippa, Emily; Carrel, Lily (February 2017). "Finding Aid: Robert C. Metcalf papers, 1942-2017 (majority within 1950-2008)". University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library.
  5. "Endowed and Gifted Scholarships/Awards" (PDF). Aultman College. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-12-06.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "The Owner-Built House". Ann Arbor Observer . June 1977. pp. 11–13. Retrieved 2024-04-30 via Ann Arbor District Library.
  7. 1 2 Shackman, Grace (April 2011). "Metcalf Modern". Ann Arbor Observer. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  8. "Robert C. and Bettie Metcalf House". Michigan Modern. Michigan State Historic Preservation Office . Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  9. Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth . Retrieved 2023-11-30. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.