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Philadelphia Modern Home News

website where you can research PHILADELPHIA ARCHITECTS AND BUILDINGS PAB

intersting blog by Betsy Manning focused on the public and commercial mid-century modern building of Philadelphia called Architectural Wallflowers. Architectural Wallflowers is an online exhibit of Temples University's American Studies Program.  The analog version of the images is displayed in a case on the 9th floor of Anderson Hall on Temple?s main campus.

For information about the Architectural Archives at University of Pennsylvannia  housing the Louis Kahn Collection  archives

I now offer customized half or full day guided Modern Home Driving Tours of the  Philadelphia Region. Please email for details.

I recently loaded a group of photos from my recent vacation to southern California. I went on a hunt for some of the more well know modern homes.  Click on the Bio in the green area on the left, then scroll down a bit to the photos.

There will be ROOTS OF MODERNISM conference in Boston presented by the AIA committee on design May 28th -31st.  for more information link

Send me an E-mail if you are interested in joining FRIENDS OF MODERN PHILADELPHIA, a new group forming to promote and protect the modern architecture of the area craig

You tube has a number of interesting videos on furniture, this video
is an interview with the Eames. there are many others on right in related area with homes ect.

Oskar Stonorov House Available
Modernist architect Oskar Stonorov designed and built two steel houses on family property in Charlestown Township, Chester County, circa 1946. At the urging of Walter Reuther (who was looking for opportunities to continue employment of war-time steel workers), and with the possible collaboration of Louis Kahn, Stonorov designed the houses as prototypes of mass-produced pre-fab houses marketed to returning veterans. Stonorov?s designs went by the name of Harmon Houses and were manufactured in Wilmington.
The Preservation Alliance has dismantled one of the steel houses (which stood in the way of a suburban development) and the labeled parts are now carefully stored in a barn in Charlestown Township. The Alliance will give the dismantled house to someone who commits to rebuilding it.
If you are interested in this opportunity, contact Randy Cotton at randy@preservationalliance.com.

The 2nd Annual Modern Home Tour  was a great success!  Even with the rainy day we had 191 on the tour. Thank you volunteers and all made it. The tour was a  fundraiser for the Lower Merion Conservancy, my co-host for the event.

Modern Through the Decades 1934-2009: Lower Merion Modern Home Tour  Sunday May 3rd 2009

Below, are some photographs I have taken of the included homes. Architects featured on the tour were Frank Lloyd Wright( Philadelphia work history page 10), William Lescaze (history page 5), Harry Sternfeld (history page 7),Charles Dagit, and Edward Bernstein(history page 7).

Frank Lloyd Wright ( more on history page 10)




William Lescaze1934 (bio history page 5) addition 2009 Martin Jay Rosenblum


Harry Sternfeld( bio on history page 7)


 


         
 

Charles Dagit


Edward Bernstein 1955 (more on history page 10)





 




The loss of area homes continues.  In preparation of Lower Merion Tour mentioned above I went to photograph a home on Mallwyd. Sadly as seen in photo I was one day too late







1st ANNUAL MODERN HOME TOUR    Oct 25th 2008
The tour was a great success!  There were over 80 on the tour with an additional 20 volunteers.  Thank you owners, volunteers, and participants.


This first annual "Classic Modern Home Tour" will feature historically significant & unique homes in Montgomery County, including fine examples by Frank Weise, Louis Kahn, Irwin Stein, Alan Berkowitz, Irvin Maitin,Norman Rice & Thomas Mangan.  A tour of these private residences will offer participants an exceptional opportunity to view the exteriors and interiors of significant mid-century modern homes in the Philadelphia Metro area. A driving map will also be supplied for additional homes in the area that can be viewed as you drive, but these will not be open.
Profits from the $25.00 ticket price will be donated to the Architectural Archives of The University of Pennsylvania

Photographs of some of the homes that were open on the tour

Jack Dolphin house by Thomas Mangan 1961 ( more photos history page 5 of site)
  
 
 
This home built 1948 in Stotesbury features an exceptional collection of mid-century furniture

 
   


'Mon Reve' Alan Berkowitz 1955 personal residence for 20 years
        
 

 Irwin Stein   the Golden Residence
     

Irving Maitin  1953  Maitin Residence

 


Frank Weise 1957 built for his brother Bernard
     


Louis Kahn Oser Residence  1942(his first constructed design)
    


Norman Rice 1949
          




Additional points of interest that will be on the self guided driving portion of the tour.
    Frank Lloyd Wright  Beth Sholom 1953-1957 Wright sought to evoke the image of Mt Sinai.  The tower is constructed of glass and metal.  On the three ridges Wright placed stylized seven-branched Menorot a central symbol int the ancient tabernacle.

The self guided tour will drive by the following homes, but please do not approach these homes. 

 
 

Frank Weise                                                   Joel Levinson  Arbor House 1969
 

 

The guided tour will in addition pass the 1934 home built and designed by Robert Montgomery Brown for his family seen below.  In the black and white photo from 1935 the original 12 inch redwood boards can be seen. The archtiect signed his name in the terazzo surrounding the metal front fireplace.  A tunnel runs between the main house and studio/greenhouse.