Architecture
House of Tomorrow… today
The House of Tomorrow by George Fred Keck.
Image courtesy of: Curbed Chicago, photographed by: Hedrich Blessing
Forty years after the incredibly successful World’s Columbian Exposition, Chicago dipped its toes back in the World’s Fair-hosting waters with the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair to celebrate the city’s centennial. One of the attractions at the fair was a series of five homes, including the “House of Tomorrow,” designed by architect George Fred Keck, a relatively young architect who had served as a draftsman in a number of Chicago firms including D.H. Burnham & Company.
The House of Tomorrow by George Fred Keck.
Image courtesy of: Chicago Collections
The House of Tomorrow was incredibly innovative. It was a glass house built more than a decade before either Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House or Phillip Johnson’s Glass House.
The House of Tomorrow had futuristic technology like air conditioning, an “iceless” refrigerator, a dishwasher, and an automatic garage door. It also featured amenities all future families would “need”, like an airplane hangar.
The House of Tomorrow airplane hangar by George Fred Keck.
Image courtesy of: The National Park Service
After the World’s Fair, real estate developer Robert Bartlett packed four of the homes on barges and reinstalled them at Beverly Shores in northern Indiana. Unfortunately, the Cypress Log Cabin was disassembled and also relocated by truck to the same location. Now, these homes sit in the Indiana Dunes and are technically part of the newest National Park in the United States.
The Wieboldt-Rostone House, which was moved across Lake Michigan on a barge.
Image courtesy of: The National Park Service
Sadly, the houses fell into disrepair until the preservation group Indiana Landmarks got involved in the 1990s. In an incredibly innovative approach, Indiana Landmarks lease the homes from the National Park Service. They then sublet the homes to private citizens, who fund the repairs, and get to live in the homes for 50 years, offering an opportunity to live in a National Park in an architectural marvel. Of course, Indiana Landmarks is careful to select tenants who will live in the home full-time rather than rent them out as an Airbnb or only use it as a vacation home.
The House of Tomorrow at its present location in Beverly Shores, Indiana.
Image courtesy of: The Chicago Tribune
Another interesting piece of architecture which sits on the beach at Beverly Shores, Indiana is the Wieboldt-Rostone House. Local residents call this the Florida Tropical House because it is flamingo pink in color. Additionally, the Cypress Log Cabin and the Armco-Ferro House have both been restored.
At this point, only the House of Tomorrow is yet to be restored. bKL Architecture has the restoration plans ready and approved by the National Park Service. Now, we are all just waiting for the right tenant.
