February 26, 2015/Charles Goodman /by Mid-Century Mike

Charles Goodman’s ‘Twin Homes’ in Arlington

When you think of neighborhoods designed by Charles Goodman’s in Virginia you think of Hollin Hills and Hickory Cluster townhomes in Reston. Goodman also designed the small 1951 South Arlington subdivision of High Point, which consists of 21 twin homes. (A twin home refers to two attached homes that share a common wall but with each owner responsible for his or her own lot, which is split right down the center of the structure.) High Point is located on 10th Place just south of Columbia Pike and is within the Virginia Heights Historic District, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.

Here’s a good architectural description from the National Register submission written by a team of architectural historians at EHT Traceries, including my past client Patti Kuhn Babin:

“The houses are staggered along the sloping street by varying setbacks. Two stories in height, the dwellings are constructed of cinder block with a stretcher-bond brick veneer and have a shallow-pitched, side-gabled roof with prominent overhanging eaves. Although identical in form at the time of their construction, the houses vary by light-colored, red, and painted brick. An original one-story, two-bay “service entrance” with a flat roof projects from the main elevation of the majority of the dwellings.”

More from the submission: “The main elevation of each unit has a horizontal window opening with a one-light fixed window and a paired casement window on the first story and paired casement windows on the second story. Emblematic of Goodman’s style, large floor-to-ceiling windows pierce the second story of the dwellings’ main elevation. The original wood-sash windows contain two fixed lights with two paired casement windows below. The majority of the windows have been replaced by various window types, all of which are vinyl. In some cases, the window openings have been partially enclosed with vinyl siding or spandrels.”

The homes typically have two bedrooms and one or two bathrooms. They are under 1,000 square feet. During the past two years, they have sold in the low to high $200,000 range.

February 9, 2015/Mid-Century Modern /by Mid-Century Mike

Book Tells Story of Wright’s Pope-Leighy House

The Pope-Leighey House is owned by the The National Trust for Historic Preservation.

To mark the 75th anniversary of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Pope-Leighey House, architect Steven M. Reiss has published the book Frank Lloyd Wright’s Pope-Leighey House, which tells the fascinating story of the Usonian house. The house, originally built for journalist Loren Pope and his family, was completed in 1940 in Falls Church. Second owner, Marjorie Leighey, helped save the house when it was threatened by the construction of I-66. She donated it to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which moved the house to Woodlawn Plantation in Alexandria in 1964. It was later moved again, although only 30 feet, because of soil issues. The house was the first of only three Wright homes built in Virginia. Here’s a short recent review from The Washington Post to learn more about one of our local architectural treasures.

February 1, 2015/Frank Lloyd Wright /by Mid-Century Mike

Wright’s Cooke House in VA Beach Back on Market

Wright’s Cooke House features a 70-foot curved great room. Photo courtesy of the owners.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s mid-century modern Cooke House, a hemicycle structure built overlooking Crystal Lake, was recently relisted for $2.75 million. It was listed several years ago for $4.4 million and then dropped to $3.75 million. If you do not have the funds for this one, you can stay in the staff suite for $140 per night.

Designed by Wright in 1953 and completed after his death in 1960, the current owners Daniel and Jane Duhl bought the house in 1983 from the original owner Maude Cooke, who wrote to Wright in 1951 asking the master to build a house for her and her husband, Andrew. “Dear Mr. Wright, Will you please help us get the beautiful house we have dreamed of for so long?” Maude wrote. The house was in disrepair when the Duhls bought it. They undertook a major restoration, winning a preservation award from the AIA of Hampton Roads. The main feature of the 3 bedroom/2 bath house is the 70-foot curved great room with wall of glass and 40-foot custom Wright sofa. The owners have put together an excellent website with more photos, a history of the house and some of Wright’s drawings. The Cooke House is one of just three Wright designed in Virginia, including the Pope-Leighey House and the Marden House.

Month: February 2015