Usonian...
Boulder Usonia
One of the best Usonian-style houses in Boulder, the Menkick House from 1970 by
Charles Haertling. Behind it is Green Rock.
November 4th, 2011 / 2 Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Boulder icon
I am happy to note that this iconic Usonian building, the First Christian Church, located
where the 36 Hwy becomes 28th St at the entranceway to Boulder, is still standing despite
having been for sale for years now. There was concern that it would be torn down and
replaced with student housing.
Designed 1960 by architects Thomas Nixon & Lincoln Jones.
With it’s prominent Boulder location, it is nice way for residents to regularly view a historic
example of the direct influence of Frank Lloyd Wright.
October 27th, 2011 / 1 Comment » / by Tom Lundin
Horizontal
A long, low, horizontal home oriented to the spectacular view.
Another one of the earlier houses in Panorama Heights. (Probably late 1950s)
September 29th, 2011 / 1 Comment » / by Tom Lundin
Panorama Heights
The original show home for Panorama Heights, likely circa-1955.
September 28th, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Golden cantilevered mod
Incredible cantilevered modern house in Golden, with dual cylindrical flues!
(From the early 1960s, I presume)
July 21st, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Hawkins house
Ed Hawkins, the man responsible for Arapahoe Acres, built this house in 1957, after
returning from a visit to Japan. He lived in this residence for ten years.
The false balcony is a playful break from the honesty of his beautiful Usonian and
International style designs that permeate Arapahoe Acres.
June 16th, 2011 / 1 Comment » / by Tom Lundin
Quaker Meeting House
The Quaker Meeting House, a 1961 design in North Boulder by Charles Haertling.
June 9th, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Crowther Usonian
The Nuefeld House, a 1956 Usonian home designed by Richard Crowther, known for his Cinerama movie theater designs and the Art Deco at Lakeside Amusement Park.
May 31st, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Amter house
Usonian-style home in the Hilltop area designed 1954 by Joseph Lort.
There is another Lort design in Hilltop, an International-style house from 1946, but his
other 1954 Hilltop Usonian design was torn down in 2000.
May 9th, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Arapaho Hills
Finally took a photo of this home in Littleton’s Arapaho Hills that I am happy with (click to enlarge). It was designed in late-1950s (probably 1957) by Mannon Associates. Arapaho Hills was a follow-up development to Englewood’s Arapahoe Acres.
The low horizontal profile is deceiving… if you look at the size of the front door, you realize that the wall on the left is taller than a person. The design is based on one of the two Reed Houses in Arapahoe Acres. (Look here)
May 5th, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
More Barnum rooflines
A continuation of photos of Usonian rooflines in the Barnum area of Denver.
Again, not the best photos, I took these years ago, with no intention of publishing them
anywhere.
This home I would date from around 1950, the others probably mid-1950s.
This last one was in the middle of a paint job when I took the photo, so this one will not
enlarge when clicked. Just appreciate the roofline.
February 23rd, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Barnum rooflines
These photos might not be the best and they are a little old (as can be attested to by the
Hillary For President sign), but I love the Usonian rooflines of these homes scattered in
little pockets throughout the Barnum area of Denver.
February 21st, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Mountainside Wheatridge home
Beautiful setting for this mountainside ’60s-era modern home in Wheat Ridge.
January 4th, 2011 / 1 Comment » / by Tom Lundin
Autumn shade
Autumn shadows play across the leaves on the lawn of this late-1950s-era modern home
in Wheat Ridge.
January 3rd, 2011 / 1 Comment » / by Tom Lundin
Wheat Ridge Autumn
A nicely-sited hillside late-1950s modernist house in Wheat Ridge with lots of glass and a
rear view of the mountains.
January 2nd, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Autumn photos
Here is a modernist home from the early-60s in Wheat Ridge with a beautiful wall of glass
facing toward the mountains.
December 30th, 2010 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Papachristou’s Wallbank house in the news
There is a story about the Wallbank House in today’s Denver Post, with an article about how the landmark preservation ordinance is somehow being misused to attempt to preserve historical landmarks (a Papachristou house, no less!).
Comments like “real-estate terrorism” sound ripped right of Fox News or the old days of the Weekly World News. It is silly, considering this had to be one of the most civil discourses over architectural preservation. It’s especially sad that the Denver Post did not consider this story newsworthy until after the official demolition date is announced (Jan 15th). Goodbye Wallbank House, we will miss you!
December 29th, 2010 / 1 Comment » / by Tom Lundin
Ed Hawkins in Southern Hills
Aside from the Arapahoe Acres development, Ed Hawkins designed numerous houses
all over the Denver area. These two Usonian-style Southern Hills homes date from 1958.
There is also a house in Arapahoe Hills based on the same design as this house above.
Courtesy of:
December 21st, 2010 / No Comments » / by Shannon Stanbro
Witkin house
Another Fall photo from Southern Hills, this one the Usonian-style Witkin House,
designed 1959 by Horace Brand and Harvey Jensen. The beams are quite unique.
(Architect names gleaned from the guidebook The Mid-Century Modern House in
Denver by Michael Paglia and Diane Wray Tomasso.)
December 14th, 2010 / 2 Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Boulder Usonian fire stations
Two Usonian-style fire stations from Boulder. This first one is Boulder Fire Station #2,
designed 1958 by Hobart Wagener, a prolific Boulder modernist architect who designed
Williams Village.
(For a great overview of Hobart Wagener, visit the site Boulder Modern House).
Both stations have tall central garages flanked by offices/sleeping quarters on the sides.
In Boulder Fire Station No.2 these flanks have three gables representing the three
Flatirons of Boulder.
Boulder Fire Station #3 below was designed 1964 by Thomas Nixon & Lincoln Jones,
also in the Usonian style.
Nixon & Jones designed Boulder’s iconic Usonian-style First Christian Church whose
prominent bow greets visitors to Boulder as they drive in on 28th Avenue.
November 25th, 2010 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Floral details
Floral details from Victor Hornbein and Ed White’s 1966 Usonian design for the Denver
Botanic Gardens.
October 21st, 2010 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Usonian detail
Some of the floral detail from the Usonian-style Children’s Psychiatric
Day Care Center on 8th Ave, near University Blvd, shown here in a sad
state of disrepair.
Designed 1962 by Victor Hornbein and Ed White, it is going to be
demolished and may already be gone.
October 20th, 2010 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Usonian library
The 1951 Ross-Broadway Library, a Usonian-design by Victor Hornbein.
October 19th, 2010 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Burnt Orange
Richard Crowther designed this Usonian-style home, the Neufeld House, in 1956.
Here the sun shows the true color of the burnt orange ribbed terra cotta tiles. These are original to the house and match the orange used for his design for the Cooper Cinerama Theatre on Colorado.
October 13th, 2010 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Lakewood Usonian
1950s Usonian-style home in Lakewood.
(Not as good as the picture Shannon Stanbro uses for 5280mod!)
October 1st, 2010 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
