Triangle Modernist Houses "Misc Durham" Tour

(From Triangle Modernist Houses)

Paul F. Baum Residence. Designed by William Potter, husband of Baum's stepdaughter. Featured in the October 1941 Architectural Record. Sold in 1968 to owner (as of 2011) James Bonk. [Longstanding professor of chemistry at Duke - who taught 'Bonkistry' to a simply massive number of undergraduates - including me.]

The rambling modern split-level house, with Roman brick walls, originally occupied the entire block between Wells and Bivins streets.  On the rear, the house wraps around two sides of an original swimming pool, with an adjacent round, flat-roofed pool house and large terrace. The Evanses entertained here frequently in the pool and courtyard space.  Their house was often called the “Jewish Country Club” as the Jewish Evanses were not allowed in other Country Clubs at the time.  The house is now owned by William and Garrie Kingsbury. House Photo by George Smart. Family Photo from 1957:  Sara, sons Eli and Bob, and father Eli.

1954 - The Russell Robinson House, 115 Ashworth Drive, Durham.  Robinson was the original owner, designer, and builder.  He was from Virginia and built three homes; two different homes for himself, and one for his son.  Sold to Flora and Marvin Carter.  Sold in 1996 to their grandson, Rick Carver and his wife Tracey.  The house has 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, with 3200 sf.  Includes pool, hot tub, atrium, and additional rec room/workshop with 856 sf.  Sold in 2010 to current owners Ken and Stephanie Rowe.

1954 - The John Bernard Pfeiffer, Jr. Residence, 3414 Rugby Road, Durham.  The son of architect John B. Pfeiffer of New York City, Pfeiffer originally asked his brother Richard in New York to design a new house in the Hope Valley area of Durham.  But John's wife Mary Louise had a different plan.  She recruited one of her local architect golfing buddies to do the plans, an act which caused a rift between brothers that never completely healed.  Her architect is unknown.  Renovated in 1959 by Pfeiffer's father's firm.  Sold in 1988 to current owners Raymond and Cynthia Joyner.  Photos by George Smart.

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Photograph taken by Cheri Szcondronski, Naitonal Historic District Submission, January 2018

The Art Moderne style lasted from 1922 to 1942—or so the Architecture guidebooks say. So why does one of Durham's finest modernistic style houses date only to 1956?The answer lies in a remarkable story of hard work, patience and good humor. Clyde and Eleanor Lloyd each possess these qualities in abundance. Except for his stint 'in the army during World War II, Clyde Lloyd spent his working life in service as a chauffeur and butler for several of Durham's prominent families.

Mr. Lloyd first saw the plan for his future home in a magazine at a friend's house. The more he studied the house, the more determined he became to make the drawing a real home for his wife and himself He promised Eleanor that if she would be patient, he would build the house himself, from the basement to the roof, in five years. They bought a fine lot on Nelson Street and sent away for the blueprints. The house was to be built of solid masonry. Lloyd studied bricklaying and worked steadily on his time off He was able to do a large part of the work himself with help from his friends and neighbors who assisted him with heavy work and specialty jobs. His employers, Mr. and Mrs. Toms, took an interest in his project and provided nearly 40,000 bricks.

In 1956, four years after Clyde made his promise to Eleanor, the Lloyds moved into their new house-one of the finest and certainly the last Art Moderne house to be built in Durham.

The Lloyd house is a two story, four bedroom house. The exterior incorporates nearly all of the characteristic design elements of its style-asymmetrical facade, flat roof, curved walls, round windows, glass blocks and steel casement windows at the corners. The Art Moderne style is the architectural expression of 'streamlining' that influenced aircraft, ship, train and automobile design during the 1930s. Art Moderne private residences are relatively rare as the style was most frequently used in industrial offices and apartment buildings. Only a handful were built in Durham.

The interior of the Lloyd house is spacious and comfortable. The thickness of its masonry walls is revealed in the opening between the entry hall and living room. Note the large plaster cove moldings. The red carpet in the front hall, a fine wool, was given to the Lloyds by Mr. Branson, one of Mr. Lloyd's employers, when he bought the James Buchanan House and tore out the old carpet while redecorating. The upstairs bedrooms are light and airy.

County deed records show that C.C. Edwards and his wife, Annie; and W.W. Edwards and his wife, Ophelia, sold the lot to Clyde and Eleanor B. Lloyd on January 17, 1951.  James W. Hunter and Edwina P. Hunter purchased the house from Gladys H. Rennick, executor of the Eleanor B. Lloyd Estate on September 2, 2004.  The Hunters lived in the house until 2016.  Since that time, the property has been vacant and not maintained.  The Hunters as still the owners of the property.

1955 - T

The Jeanne Smith Whitesides Residence, 1506 Kent, Durham. Jeanne Whitesides designed the house. Cathedral ceiling in the kitchen. Vaulted living room with Terrazzo floors, Jack and Jill bathrooms, and a secret closet behind the mirror at the end of the hall. Sold to Allan P. and Lenore Sindler in 1959. Sold to Sheldon and Evelyn Abelkop in 1967. Sold to Mark and Nancy D. Handler in 1980. Sold to E. Ruth Teague Lang in 1983. Sold to Charles and Genevieve Cotter in 1985. Sold in 1987 to Richard J. and Suzanne H. Wrazen. Sold to 1991 Thomas D. and Nancy H. Brown. Sold in 1995 to Jonathan Goldberg and Michael Moon. Sold in 1998 to John Burness and Anne D. Williams. Sold in 2000 to Anne D. Williams. 

1956 - The Ruth Shaw Residence, 1210 Anderson Street, Durham. Architect unknown. 1566 square feet, three bedrooms.  Shaw did not recall the architect.  Sold in 2008 to current owner Christel Greiner.

Twin to the house at 1210 Anderson. Sold in 1961 to James and Frances Barwick. Sold in 1979 to James and Mary Kelley. Sold in 1986 to John and Irene Need. Sold in 2003 to Robert Letourneau and Russell E. Burns.

According to their son, the Kimbles designed this house themselves. Built by James (Jimmy) Heizer of Heizer Construction. When the Kimbles moved to Colorado in 1968, they sold the house to Stanley Appel. Bought by current owners Bryan and Vicki Koon in 1977.

(Photo by Heather Wagner)

This is Plan X-50 by architect Rudolph A. Matern of Jamaica NY.  When Mrs. Bradley died, Mr. Bradley moved out and later remarried.  Was vacant for an extended time. Sold in 1985 to John and Sheryl A. Lubans. Renovation and addition in 1989.  

From Matern plan book. 

The Stewart and Jane Alexander Jr. Residence. This ranch brick house has a 2-story center block, slab floor, a flat roof, a recessed entrance, and a 1-story left side wing.  In 2000 the house was sold to and renovated by Douglas "Casey" Herbert and Kathleen Bennett.  Carrboro architect Giles Blunden designed replacement casement windows and a latticework brick wall that screens the original carport at the left side. 

(photograph courtesy of Alex Maness)

From the 2012 Preservation Durham Old Home Tour booklet:

This house is a definitive example of post-World War II modernism.  It was built in 1958 for Stewart and Jane Cowan Alexander.  Stewart, the son of Parks Alexander, had grown up in Forest Hills, at 24 Oak Drive.  The Alexanders were partners in the Durham-based Alexander Ford car dealership, and the family lived here until 2001.

The Cowan Corporation, which was owned by Jane Alexander's family, designed and built the house, which exhibits many characteristics that define the post-war style: a long, low profile with simple geometric shapes and clean lines.  The ground floor is faced with red brick, which contrasts with the gray siding on the smaller second floor (original exterior siding color was Aqua - typical of 1950’s modern design tastes).  The roof of the ground floor sharply divides the two stories, extending the horizontal line to the east where it covers a carport designed to hold four vehicles.  Narrow rows of windows, a flat roof and the long, low profile of the chimney further accentuate the sharp horizontal lines.

The interior of the main floor was designed as one large open space, with a variety of materials and various floor levels defining the entrance, living room and dining room.  The entire lower level was originally painted aqua, featuring white carpet and aqua & white checkered linoleum floors surrounding the fireplace. The current homeowners worked with Chapel Hill Architect Giles Blunden in updating and integrating new materials, colors and textures into the original design.  Just inside the front door, the original floating staircase of natural wood divides the more formal areas of the house from family areas.  The current homeowners were required by modern safety codes to replace a too-low planter at the edge of the original stair landing.  To keep the space as open as possible, they installed a short length of wall integrating the large double-sided fireplace between the living room and the family room at the west side of the house, and added a transparent wall enhancing privacy from the front door.  Molded dark gray concrete tiles (by Chapel Hill Sculptor Andy Fleishman) now cover the original white brick fireplace and concrete terrace.  The large plate glass windows on the west side of the house are similar to those used in commercial construction in the 1950s, when the Alexanders also built a new automobile showroom.

Upstairs are four bedrooms.  The original dark paneled narrow hallway was widened to create an alcove entrance to the two central bedrooms and skylights were added above stairs for natural light.  The current homeowners also expanded the master suite by removing a wall to include a secondary bedroom as a sitting/hobby area.  The large master bathroom was remodeled with new steel sinks, glass and wood designed by the homeowner.  Off the master bedroom a small deck and French doors were added that lead from the bedroom onto the flat roof terrace extending over the carport.

As the upstairs bathrooms were updated, the homeowners decided to recycle original 1950s Robin’s Egg blue fixtures from the master bath and installed them in a new powder room on the first floor, once again integrating the old with the new in this house. 

The gardens around the house have been extensively re-landscaped by the current homeowners to open up the house to its surroundings.  They removed holly trees that had almost completely hidden the house from the street.  The huge magnolia tree in the front yard was limbed up to create space for a mixture of plantings and walkways.  French doors from the family room lead out to a paved terrace defined by brick planters.  Sculptures by Virginia artist Jack Chaffee create an oasis between the house and the woods that separate it from busy S. Roxboro Street.

One final note of historic interest: the 1950’s wood and canvas double-sided lamp on the round, metal table in the downstairs living area was owned by the original homeowners and was a gift to the current owners from a neighbor.

(Photo by Heather Wagner)

Sold to John B. and Rose Page Wilson in 1971.  Sold to Roy A. and Anne B. Griffiths in 1996. 

The Earles were the in-laws of Jon Condoret.  Designed by Balford Hackney, who worked for Archie Davis.  As of 2011, owned by Robert D. and Merry Rabb.  2931 square feet. 

Rudin designed the house for passive solar and chose the lot for its southwest exposure. Framing by Robert Dykes.  HVAC by Frank Dadderio.  Sold in 1998 to Niall Hanley. Has a low voltage wiring system. For sale in 2011.

Designed by the original owner.  Built by a man named Wallace, according to owner Walter Obrist.  Sold many times.  Addition in 1966.  For sale in 2011.

Sold by Atlas Realty and Insurance (Hubert and Dillard Teer)  on 12.01.66 to Central Engineering and Contracting Corporation. 

Sold to the City of Durham in 1984. Sold in 1985 to Lester and Therese Fahrner. Sold in 1985 to David M. and Gracie Welsh. Sold in 1991 to Larry H. and Nancy M. Rocamora.

Magazine plan chosen by Helen, may have been Better Homes and Gardens. Sold to Keith and Jill Kaye in 2000.  Sold to Sally and David Vasbinder in July 2006.   Renovations by Lee Tripi in 2010.

This is Plan P-907 from the plan book Encyclopedia of Home Designs 1967 by Master Plan Service, Inc. 3000 square feet. Sold in 2007 to Scott and Julie Hollenbeck. Sold in 2010 to Jina Park and Alan Russell.

This is Plan P-742 from the plan book Encyclopedia of Home Designs 1967 by Master Plan Service, Inc. 4000 square feet.

Sold in 2005 to Barbara R. Haight.

The Kimbles designed this house for themselves, the second they had designed in the area, upon returning to North Carolina from Colorado. They lived here until they both passed away in 2006. Their son Jeffrey Kimble and his wife lived in the house until 2011, when it was sold to Lori McLean and Brian D Chisolm.

Olsen built it as a spec house, although he did live there a short time.  Design/build by Bill Christopher and Matt Hosmer or ILM Design and Build of Wilmington.  Sold May 2009 to current owners Derek Cornish and Sally White.  Photos by ILM.

Designed by Christie with plans drawn by architect and builder John Hartley.  She wrote a book about it, Green House, and as of 2009 was working on a sequel.