Saturday, March 28, 2009

Sioux City History and Culture by Bicycle Part 123: William L. Steele Part 18: Ben and Harriet Schulein House

The Ben and Harriet Schulein House, located at 2604 Jackson St. is one of William L. Steele's earliest Prairie styled designs. In the early Spring I had the pleasure of meeting and talking with the owner. I was taking photo's of this beautiful house from the sidewalk and the owner was on her way out the door to walk her dog.

We talked for about 15 min. or so and I learned some interesting things about the home. Her and her husband are the 5th owners of the house since it was built. In the 1950's the home had a fire from a problem with the fire place. The damage was repaired and the damaged section restored. The owner invited me on to the property to take photo's of the back of the home and told me a now enclosed section used to be a porch. The home does have a porte coche with a carriage step. There have been modern updates done to the house. New siding was installed in 2005 and new, more energy efficient windows have been added. The horizontal lines Steele was well known for in his design have not been affected by the updates.

The owner invited me back to continue our discussion of the history on the home. Later in the Spring I will visit the home again and learn more about this beautiful house. There will be an update posted about the Schulein House as I learn more. I look forward to doing so.

Ben’s father, Sigmund, a successful businessman and entrepreneur, was one of the earliest Jewish settlers in Sioux City. Ben Schulein operated a shoe business that was founded by his father. The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Schulein, Ben and Harriet, House (added 1997 - Building - #97001289)
2604 Jackson St., Sioux City
Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer: Steele, William LaBarthe
Architectural Style: Late 19th And Early 20th Century American Movements, Prairie School
Area of Significance: Architecture
Period of Significance: 1900-1924
Owner: Private
Historic Function: Domestic
Historic Sub-function: Single Dwelling
Current Function: Domestic
Current Sub-function: Single Dwelling

Photo's;





Friday, March 27, 2009

Sioux City History and Culture by Bicycle Part 122: William L. Steele Part 17: James P. Newton House

In 1909 James P. Newton hired architect William L. Steele to design his home. Complete with the large overhangs and beautiful exposed rafter tails and trusses. Newton was President of Haskin Bros, & Co. His company was the first and only soap manufacturer in Sioux City making nationally famous “Trilby” and “Peek-a-Boo” brand soaps.

Steele was living in Sioux City for about 5 years when he designed the Newton House. It is one of his earlier designs during his incredible and impressive career in NW Iowa.

Located at 2312 Nebraska St., the house is on the National Register of Historic Sites;
Newton, James P., House and Maid Cottage (added 2000 - Building - #00000154)
2312 Nebraska St., Sioux City
Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer: Steele, William I.
Architectural Style: Bungalow/Craftsman
Area of Significance: Architecture
Period of Significance: 1900-1924
Owner: Private
Historic Function: Domestic
Historic Sub-function: Single Dwelling
Current Function: Domestic
Current Sub-function: Single Dwelling

Here are photo's of the house as it looks today. These photo's were taken in the summer of 2008, I do not know if the clock is original to the house or not, or if it was added later.;




Not only did William L. Steele design the main house but he also designed the maid cottage that sits just behind the larger main home. Of course over the years modern amenities have been added to both structures and things that have been damaged, worn out or have rotted have been replaced. Modern heating and cooling, gutters, garage doors, windows, entry doors, etc. Even so, a majority of the original design remains on both homes, one has to look pretty hard to see the changes made over the 100 years the houses have been standing. The current owner owns both the main house and the maid cottage. The maid cottage is rented out. I had the pleasure of meeting, and talking with the gentleman who rents the maid cottage as he was walking up to the door when I was taking photo's from the public alley between Nebraska and Jackson Streets. I did not get his name but I believe he is a college student, he had an arm load of books. He is aware that the house was originally the maid cottage. I gave him a brief overview of the history of the two homes and to look for this blog post and asked if he would advise the owner as well.

This is the second home that I know of that William L. Steele designed that has either maid/servent's quarters or a maid cottage. The first that I know of is the H. H. Everist House.

Here are the photo's taken in March of 2009 of the main house;





Here is a photo taken in March of 2009 of the maid cottage;


Information about the James P. Newton House was obtained through research at the Pearl St. Research Center, Sioux City Public Library and the National Register of Historic Places web site. The current photo's of the house were taken by me with a digital camera.

The James P. Newton House is a privatley owned home. For those that visit, respect tresspassing laws and only view the home from the public sidewalk, roadway or alley. Do not enter the property with out permission. To obtain permission it is probably ok to walk up the front walk and knock on the door or ring the doorbell. Photographs can be taken of the house, but only from the public roadway, sidewalk or public alley. If the owners are outside the home when photo's are being taken do not include people in the photo. This is an invasion of privacy.

No part of this or any blog, past, present or future may be used with out the express written permission from the blog author. If you wish to use any part of this blog or any blog post please contact the author at; freemasoncyclist@gmail.com

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Sioux City History and Culture by Bicycle Part 121: William L. Steele Part 16: Everist House

Similar to Frank Lloyd Wright, William L. Steele designed houses. Quite a few of the homes he designed are located in Sioux City. One of the most well known is the H. H. Everist House located on the western edge of Grandview park at 37 McDonald Dr.

It has been said
"To tour the H. H. Everist House is to feel the spirit of architect William L. Steele."
While that is no doubt true I have not had the pleasure of touring the inside of the house myself. However I have felt that when touring some of his other buildings.

Revealed in the design of the Everist House are dozens of features that are unique to Steele's genius of Prairie School style.

THe most prominent is the outside brick. The brick came from Sioux City Brick and Tile Company and was made with Loess Hills clay. The Loess Hills in the United States are only unique to western Iowa and extend from Akron to Hamburg. The only way to get the color of the brick is from the Loess Hills clay. There are other buildings built with the same kind of color brick, a beautiful rich tan Roman color. Steele used the brick to achieve the signature horizontal, seemingly endless line. The horizontal lines is a unique feature only used in Prairie School architecture. The mortar is the same color and flush with the brick. The horizontal mortar is raked, the only style found in Prairie style.

Prairie style architecture is about being part of the natural surroundings and being organic. The Everist House looks like it is part of the hillside. The materials including the tan color of the tile roof repeats the hues of nature.

For 80 years the house only had one owner, the Everists. Now it is owned by another owner. Steele designed the house for Hubert H. Everist Sr., founder of L. G. Everist Inc. and Western Corporation. It was built in 1917. The Everists saw the Robie House in Chicago and wanted to repeat it here in Sioux City. The Robie House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is regarded as one of his most outstanding examples of Wright's style of Prairie School architecture.

Both Wright and Steele worked adn studied under famed Chicago architect Louis Sullivan early in their careers. Both were influenced by Sullivan who was the father of Prairie School architecture.

Prairie School style was viewed as a radical, even objectionable departure from the Victorian influence that had dominated Sioux City architecture for many years. In fact in 1915 Steele's design of the Woodbury County Courthouse drew public protests as being too radical.

The biggest difference is Victorian style houses used a prominent vertical form, Prarie Stle used horizontal lines that harmonized with the with the rolling midwestern landscape. Another difference in the 2 architetural styles is Victorian favored seperate formal rooms, Prairie Style pushed interior spaces to the outdoors with terraces, porches and peroglas. Rooms were conceived as spaces that flowed into each other.

Among the remarkable elements of the Everist House is the 100 foot unobstructed space that stretches from one end of the ground floor to the other. This is according to Richard Guy Wilson, co-author of The Prairie School in Iowa. This open approach had a profound influence on American architecture.

At ground level of the 5,000 square foot home the open space comprises front and rear entry foyers, a living room, dining room, morning room, sun room and library. The kitchen and family room with full bath have been remodeled by newer owners to accomidate contemporary lifestyles. The remainder of the ground floor has been restored to it's original oak luster.

In every direction one looks in the house horizontal windows invite natural lights. Steele's cleverly designed overhangs welcome sun in the winter and provide shapde in the summer. The large overhangs are a style uniqe only to Prairie School architecture and Steele was well known for using them in a lot of his designs.

The house has 2 fire places and has a grand staircase. Off the staircase is a large rear foyer with massive doors that opens to a circular driveway. The driveway is protected by a porte cochere. Visitors, at the time the house was built, could pull in their horse drawn buggies and be pretected from the weather. Today it is the same for people who visit driving motor vehicles.

The Everist House has no Victorian excess. There are no newel posts or round spindles. Everything is square and angular with out curves.

Upstairs reveals a master suite, dressin rooms, sitting rooms and a fireplace. There is also a guest room, roomy servents quarters a backstairs, sleeping porch, laundry and 3 bathrooms. The restoration used Frank Lloyd Wright design wallpaper through out the second floor.

The house was originally to have an elevator. The door constructed for the elevator now conceals storage space. The original plans also called for a swimming pool, but one was never constructed, the tennis courts remain however.

The Everist House has a lot of built in storage tucked into the walls of the airy upstairs hallway.

The built-ins are most striking in most people's favorite part of the home, the Ship Bedroom. So called because the room is designed to look like the interior of a ship. The Everist Family raised quite a few children and the Ship Bedroom is where many of the youngsters slept. The room boasts tongue in groove that covers the walls and ceilings, 4 built-in bunkbeds, each with its own reading light, portal mirrors and built-in dressers that are all original to the house. At the center of the Ship Room is an oak table with built-in bookshelves. The most compelling feature of the Ship Room is the band of leaded windows bearing medallions of nautically themed glass. One medallion depicts a sunset at sea. The medallions were designed with children in mind.

The Everists and the owners in 1998 were praised for their diligence in preserving all of the unique features of the house which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The owners as of 1998 has had to do extensive restoration work based on the careful research of the home.

At the time there were 2 things that had to be restored the fountain and the goldfish pond in the front of the house.

Here is an article from the June 7, 1998 edition of the Sioux City Journal about the Everist House;



Info. on the National Register of Historic Places listing;
Everist, H. H., House (added 1983 - Building - #83000413)
37 McDonald Dr., Sioux City
Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer: Steele,William LaBarthe
Architectural Style: Prairie School
Area of Significance: Architecture
Period of Significance: 1900-1924
Owner: Private
Historic Function: Domestic
Historic Sub-function: Single Dwelling
Current Function: Domestic
Current Sub-function: Single Dwelling



A newspaper article on the Everist House and photo's of what the house looks like today;









Information about the H. H. Everist House was obtained through research at the Pearl St. Research Center and the Sioux City Public Library. The newspaper articles are scans from microfilm using the digital film viewer at the public library. The current photo's of the house were taken by me with a digital camera.

The H. H. Everist House is a privatley owned home. Respect tresspassing laws and only view the home from the public roadway. Do not enter the property with out permission. To obtain permission it is probably ok to enter via the driveway, not the grass and knock on the door or ring the doorbell. Photographs are allowed, but only from the public roadway. If the anyone is outside the home when photo's are being taken do not include people in the photo. This is an invasion of privacy.

No part of this or any blog post, past, present or future may be used with out the express written permission from the blog author. If you wish to use any part of this blog or any blog post please contact the author at; freemasoncyclist@gmail.com