CityScapes: A Midcentury Modern Gem Called the "Athens of the Prairie"

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Monday, December 19, 2011, by Rob Bear

Welcome to CityScapes, a column in which we explore some of the nation's oft-overlooked cities and towns: their local history and real estate offerings. Have a suggestion? Do let us know.

Photo by Jon Coombs

Were it not for the industrialist J. Irwin Miller, Columbus, Indiana might have turned out like so many other indistinguishable small towns, but Miller, one of the co-founders of diesel engine manufacturer Cummins, was determined to make Columbus one of America's most architecturally admired cities. To that end, Miller set up the Cummins Foundation and offered to pay the fees of notable contemporary architects for public projects, so long as the client chose from a pre-approved list. The result are more than 60 buildings by prominent architects, including Eero Saarinen, I.M. Pei, Robert Venturi, Cesar Pelli, Richard Meier, and Robert A.M. Stern. It was Saarinen, a personal friend of Miller, who designed Irwin's personal residence (above). The interiors were crafted in exhaustive detail by superstar designer Alexander Girard, while the grounds were left to Dan Kiley, the preeminent postwar landscape architect.

Photo by Jon Coombs

? The result of all those great minds working together is a breathtaking example of the height of midcentury design, spread over more than 6,800 square feet and 13.5 riverfront acres. Highlights include the cylindrical fireplace in the living room (above), the many personalized Girard fabrics, and horse chestnut trees lining the drive. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 2000, the Miller House was donated to the Indianapolis Museum of Art following the death of Xenia Miller, Irving's wife, in 2008.

Photo: wiki

? The Miller residence is hardly the only attraction in Columbus, which boasts five additional National Historic Landmarks, including Saarinen's North Christian Church. The church, completed in 1964, consists of a hexagonal base with a sloped roof leading to a 192-foot spire. This house of god has the distinction of being the last structure designed by Eero Saarinen before his death in 1961.

WHAT'S ON THE MARKET NOW:

Unfortunately, the Cummins Foundation's focus on public buildings and Miller's own stunning residence did not rub off on the construction of private homes. Without the financial assistance of the foundation, homeowners instead opted for affordable and traditional (read: boring) architecture. That shows in Columbus's somewhat lackluster housing stock. Nevertheless, here are three picks from the local market, because, hey, at least they're in close proximity to the masterpieces.

? Lying directly across the street from the North Christian Church, this three-bedroom brick manse has a better view than most of the city's architectural treasures. That's not to say this place is a treasure itself. Built in 1950, the 3,200-square-foot spread is listed for $220K.

? For something a little more upscale, if no better presented, try this 18-acre horse farm on the outskirts of town. Centered around a five-bedroom, "Williamsburg style" brick mansion built in 1977, the compound is equipped with two barns and a three-bed guest house. It's no Miller House, but it's still one of the more expensive homes in town at $1.1M.

? This 1907 Gambrel cottage is one of the more architecturally interesting houses for sale in Columbus, and also one of the cheapest, asking just $110K. The low price might be due to the interiors, which have neither been updated nor terribly well maintained. Still, at least someone hasn't swung in here on a granite and stainless steel spree. Let's just hope there's some hardwood underneath all that carpet.

· 20th-Century Fox [Dwell]
· 2796 Sycamore St [Zillow]
· 572 S 250 E [Zillow]
· 1602 Washington St [Zillow]

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Cityscapes: New York's Second City Relishes Ruins of the Rust Belt

× Like us and you'll find top breaking news in your Facebook newsfeed. Sign up for our daily email newsletter and get top stories and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Thursday, March 3, 2011, by Rob Bear

Welcome to CityScapes, a column in which we explore some of the nation's oft-overlooked cities and towns: their local history and real estate offerings. Have a suggestion? Do let us know.

Photo: The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

In 1906, Frank Lloyd Wright was commissioned to design an office building for the Larkin Soap company in Buffalo, N.Y. At the time, Buffalo was a growing industrial city, fueled by the Erie Canal, iron and steel, and the transport of grain from Midwest farms to Eastern urban markets, and Larkin was a successful mail-order concern. Wright produced a monolith of a building for Larkin (above) that exemplified the company's—and the city's—rising fortunes. Forty-five years later, the Larkin Building was torn down to make way for a truck stop. By 1990, the population of Buffalo had shrunk below 1900 levels, a startling decline for a city just across the state from NYC, whose population more than doubled in the same period. But for fans of architecture, there are certain upsides to a receding economy.

THE BACKSTORY:

Photos: Buffalo Architecture
So how did Buffalo architecture buffs benefit from their city's industrial decline? Well, for one, they missed out on much of the building boom of the latter half of the 20th century, meaning classic buildings like the dazzling Guaranty Building by Louis Sullivan (above) weren't knocked down and replaced with a mediocre modern office tower. And the same inadvertent preservation holds true for similarly impressive works of the mid century, like Eliel and Eero Saarinen's Kleinhans Music Hall (below), which is an elegant mixture of Eliel's Arts & Crafts style and his son's modern sensibilities, completed in 1940. That's not to say that economic decline was the sole factor in the preservation of these historic structures and others like them. Concerned Buffalo citizens have had a hand in active preservation efforts since the beloved Larkin building was reduced to a pile of rubble. Architects have also taken an interest, and Chicago architect David Steele has published a book of some of Buffalo's greatest architectural marvels, now available online. In October, the National Trust for Historic Preservation will hold its annual conference in the city. Photos: Buffalo Architecture

WHAT'S ON THE MARKET NOW:

? This 8,700-square-foot 1910 stone mansion is just the right relic of Buffalo's past. Set on a half acre, the home boasts a wood-paneled study, very formal living and dining rooms, eight bedrooms, and a marble foyer with sweeping staircase and wrought-iron balustrade. This all rings in at $1.5M, making it one of Buffalo's most expensive listings.

? For the apartment dweller, this well-preserved pre-war apartment building—set on storied Delaware Avenue—offers up 2,500 square feet of 1920s living for just $579K. Complete with a private elevator landing, this apartment mixes highs—a renovated kitchen and classic detailing—and lows—the ill-conceived drop ceiling in the living room.

? In the Buffalo suburb of Amherst, $399K buys a five-bedroom home on 1.2 acres with a "French country facade" and a "contemporary colonial" layout. While we can't attest to the accuracy of those architectural claims, we would say this seems like a deal for a slice of bucolic semi-suburbia circa 1935. There's even a swimming pool for when all that lake-effect snow finally melts.
· Buffalo Buildings book [official site]
· National Preservation Conference 2011 [official site]
· 50 Tudor Place [Realtor.com]
· 925 Delaware Avenue [Realtor.com]
· 590 Le Brun Road, Amherst [Realtor.com]

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