A Craftsman Bungalow

June 27, 2009 by 12 Comments
in Wingra Park National Register Historic District

in Wingra Park National Register Historic District

There is a cluster of bungalow homes near Vilas Park, a near-westside neighborhood in Madison, Wisconsin. These bungalows, built in the Craftsman Style tradition, were the work of one of the early female architects, Cora Cadwallader Tuttle. Tuttle learned carpentry from her father, design from her mother, and drafting in college. Though she grew up in rural Dane County, Cora moved to Texas with her husband, children and nephew in 1904. Following an unsuccessful business venture on a rice plantation and the death of her husband, she and her three sons joined her sister’s family who had settled in Prescott, Arizona. There she was introduced to the craftsman-style homes under construction in the Prescott area. She returned to Madison in 1908 when her son began studies at UW.

Cora bought a lot in the new Vilas Park area, and designed and built a home patterned after the Prescott Craftsmans. She attracted a favorable following and eventually designed a total of 5 homes in the area. Cora Tuttle was the only woman architect to design and build in the Madison area prior to WWI.

Bungalow, Updated

A Cora Tuttle Bungalow, Updated

This home, the Eugene C. Smith House, was built in 1911. A one and a half story home, it shares many characteristics with the other Tuttle bungalows. Small details were changed in each house to give the feeling of individuality, but the basic parts of the homes are quite similar. The Smith home has a side entrance into the living room. The dining room opens from the living room, and has an entrance to the kitchen. Upstairs, there are three bedrooms and a bathroom. The recent owners have updated the rear of the home, adding a large deck for outdoor living space, but maintaining the architectural style.

The Tuttle bungalows are a part of the Wingra Park National Register Historic District.

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Of the People, By the People, For the People…

November 5, 2008 by 10 Comments
Wisconsin State Capitol at Midnight

Wisconsin State Capitol at Midnight © 2008 Bo Mackison

…from the Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln, and quoted by Obama during his victory speech at Grant Park on Election Night.

We celebrate a new day, a new era, and the election of the new President of the United States, Barack Obama.

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Tribune Tower – More Rocks from History

October 26, 2008 by 8 Comments
Moon Rock Window, sans Moon Rock

Moon Rock Window, sans Moon Rock ©2008 Bo Mackison

This is the second in a series of posts on the Tribune Tower on the Miraculous Mile in downtown Chicago. The moon rock is supposed to be in this front window facing Michigan Avenue. It is always here, wired to an elaborate security system. But the Friday I happened to be in Chicago, the moon window was filled with promo stuff about the Tribune newspaper “new look.” Unhappily for me, the moon rock was safe in the building’s vault and not available for public viewing. Agghhh!

But it does give you an example of how the numerous historical stones are placed in the exterior of the building. Some 140 rocks, bricks, and even pieces of coral and metal, are embedded in this architectural wonder.

Coral from Fortress at Cartegena Colombia

Coral from Fortress at Cartegena Colombia ©2008 Bo Mackison

This piece of coral is from the walled city of Cartegena, Colombia – one of the oldest cities in the Western Hemisphere. It was founded in 1533. Its walls, built in the 17th Century, are 50-60 feet thick and 40 feet high.

Twisted Metal from World Trade Center

Twisted Metal from World Trade Center ©2008 Bo Mackison

Part of a steel beam from the Twin Tower site, this was added to the building as a permamnent tribute to the victims of the September 11, 2001 tragedy and their families.

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Painted Desert Inn – National Architectural Treasure

October 23, 2008 by 4 Comments

Painted Desert Inn in Petrified Forest National Park

Driving through the Petrified Forest National Park, one expects to see old rocks and scrub deserts and a lot of open space. But there is another treat of a different sort, right in the middle of the park – the recently restored Painted Desert Inn. The Inn has earned the designation of a National Historical Landmark.  This designation was given to the Inn as a significant historic place with exceptional quality, which illustrates the heritage of the United States.

The inn was constructed between 1937 and 1940 in the Spanish-Pueblo Revival style and the interior spaces have an unusually high quality of design. There is a sitting room, dining room, kitchen and tap room in the main part of the building. Rooms were attached to the building, but each had a separate outside entrance. A generator provided electricity, and water was hauled from the closest town, Adanama, which was located 10 miles away.

When I spoke to the park ranger, he said the inn was located in the “absolute middle of nowhere” when it was in operation in the early 1940s, and only attracted a few truckers from nearby Route 66. The rooms – there were only 4 rooms and 2 of them were used by park rangers – were rather primitive, having bunk beds, a dresser, and outdoor facilities. The attached main building, however, was quite elegant.

Murals by Hopi artist, Fred Kabobie

Murals in Dining Room by Fred Kabobie ©2008 Bo Mackison

The murals throughout the inn are by the late Hopi artist, Fred Kabotie. During the restoration, art conservationists restored the murals using a technique where tiny dots of paint were applied to the design only where the paint had deteriorated. Much of the mural maintains its original integrity.

The inn was restored to its 1940s condition during the last several years, and it is just the type of place where I would love to spend a few nights, maybe even a few weeks. Maybe even a few months. I love this region! Out in the middle of the desert, no lights, a sky full of stars at night, and great vistas during the day.

 

Unfortunately for me, it no longer operates as an inn, but the building can be toured as part of a visit to the Petrified Forest National Park.

Id Like a Desert View, Please!

“I’d Like a Desert View, Please!” ©2008 Bo Mackison

If you drive on I-70 across Arizona, you drive right through the center of the park, though I’d recommend taking a break from the interstate because you cannot see the inn (and the really cool parts of the park) unless you drive on the main park road. Spending at least a few hours checking it out “up close and personal” is really a treat.

This building beautifully demonstrates architecture designed to fit into its setting. The simplicity of the lines and the desert color palette used to paint the inn are complementary to the Painted Desert setting. Truly a lovely building to explore if you are planning a trip to the park.

No way is this a “drive-by.”


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The Tribune Tower and a Few History Lessons

October 3, 2008 by 9 Comments

The Tribune Tower on Michigan Avenue in Chicago is one of my favorite buildings. Yes – it’s a great building.The architects won a huge contest in 1922 for designing, as the contest requested, “the most beautiful and distinctive office building in the world.”  The Tribune newspaper publishers were serious – they offered a $100,000 prize. The building is a combination of the medieval and the modern. And though the building is quite remarkable, mostly I love it for the quirky stones embedded in the exterior walls that are from famous buildings and historic structures around the world. Pieces from more than 30 countries and all 50 states are represented.

Rock of Peter

Rock of Peter ©2008 Bo Mackison

Yes, I know these rocks and bricks don’t make for grand photos, but I am so totally taken with the very idea of journalists bringing back these kinds of artifacts to their boss – just so he could mount them on his building. The claim is that they were all obtained by appropriate methods, but who really knows. Imagine asking the Pope for a piece of the Dome of St. Peter’s Cathedral!

The story goes that the Tribune’s Rome correspondent informed Colonel McCormick, longtime editor and publisher, that the above stone was obtained from the Pope’s apartment “due to the fact that repairs were being made.” Oh. Okay.

The stone does come from the largest and one of the most widely known Christian churches in the world which took 181 years to build (1445-1626). The dome itself was built from 1573-90, and designed by Michelangelo who died in 1564.  This is really quite the artifact.

Tribune Tower Historical Stone

Tribune Tower Historical Stones ©2008 Bo Mackison

New Hampshire is represented by this brick from Fort William and Mary in New Castle. The fort, built in 1704-05, was one of the first forts involved in the new country’s struggle for independence in December of 1774.

I managed to take photos of about 80% of the stones. Some were just too high for me to photograph. Looks like there may be a few Tribune Tower posts in the next few months. Seems like something I would like to document. I can’t find much information about them anywhere on the internet.

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