We visited daughter, son-in-law, and new baby grandson (Van, born labor day, 6 lbs 9 oz) and while dog walking one day, camera in hand, I snapped these pics looking up.
Most all were taken on Forest, which if you know Evanston, is a couple blocks in from the lake. I always am impressed with what builders did for their well-heeled owners, back when these places were built, mostly in the 20s.
This first pic really isn’t from Evanston. I took it on Michigan’s Macinac Island, when we were enroute. I liked the way the step-in returns were shingled and detailed. The house is a newer one, and the builder should have used a taller step and counter up the side, flashwise, and held the shingles up off the roof more.
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There were a lot of these gable window sets with bowed canopy and curved returns to see. This one is on one of the very few double houses I saw. Each window is in a different unit. The house is one big mirror image, but well done.
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Wow, that's some shingle work. I can appreciate the work that went into that after putting on 44 boxes of red cedar on so far this year.
Tom
Douglasville, GA
Some of the cut stone work just blows me away. This dormer, with its funky pediment, looks a little dark to me.
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Some more cut stone work in a dormer, but this time, heavily detailed in a curved frieze. BTW, the fascia and curved barrel rake you see here is stone, also.
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This window set, in a gable done up as "dentil universe" impressed me because of the way the original old glass, all wavy, shows up in the light.
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This little turret detail, done up with its columns, made me think of McDesign's "Cool Classic Portico" feature, the one in which his brackets have gold paint accenting the sub-ribs. Look at the capitals and bases.
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Here is a dormer, otherwise plain with its broad stone curved-top frieze, but accented with some little "comma" carvings.
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When you stack a dormer, centered over two others that already are detailed heavily in their greek gables, how do you top them? Here's how.
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Out of ideas for your new design? Try splitting an octagon and making it as a simple little gable.
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thanks for the pics!!
"I hate quotations. Tell me what you know" Ralph Waldo Emerson
Cool pix Gene, thanks for sharing.
Doug
Wow! Thanks for all the pix.
Forrest
Awesome.
Being in New England, this really shows how architecture varies drastically depending on your geographic location.
Gene, great stuff, you could do a coffee table book!
I live just south of Evanston. Got any idea what those houses cost? Each is likely over a million.
A very expensive place to live, with taxes to match. And lots of gorgeous architecture. Amazing what you can do with enough money.
Try the Chicago gold coast for more of this sort of home. Lots in Lake Forest too, but you will probably never get down the private road that is actually a mile long driveway to see them.
Back in 1955-1965 I called Evanston home and many of these homes were in disrepair and could be purchased for close to what a more modest home could be purchased for. Some of my friends parents had purchased one of the homes and were fully occupied in the off hours repairing and remodeling. Interesting time. One of the houses was occupied by the son of Congresswoman Church from the district.( he was doing significant renovation - the interior was spectular - I don't remember details - just that it was very impressive.) When she retired I was moving East and guess who then went off to Congress from the District - I fellow named Rumsfeld. Yes - the same. Interesting how the world turns.