1999 Preservation Durham Home Tour: Watts-Hillandale

Watts Hospital-Hillandale is a treasure trove of early twentieth-century American residential architecture. Just as the revolution in transportation, the streetcar, made Watts-Hospital-Hillandale possible, modern conveniences such as central heating, electric appliances, and indoor plumbing had a dramatic impact on home design.

The new architecture rejected the highly decorative and complicated Victorian styles of the nineteenth century. Instead, emphasis was placed on clean lines and simple massing. Structural elements such as piers and brackets were appreciated for their functional virtue.

Purely American styles such as the Craftsman bungalow developed by Charles and Henry Greene of California and the Prairie Style promoted by Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright vied with eclectic Spanish Mission, English Cottage, and Tudor Revival styles for the public's attention. Also, patriotic fervor brought on by the First World War stimulated interest in American Colonial Revival styles. 

The tour briefly overviews renovation in Walltown, notably 1205-1215 Berkley Street, and1117 Lancaster Street

Add new comment

Log in or register to post comments.