Splitting Hairs

Another image from 2314 Maple Ave, in the fabulous Garey tract (much of which was lost in the construction of the Santee Education Complex).

The doors, most of which endure, are of the lovely raised panel variety, sporting the positively rare dual-bevel (see image left).

More rarities, and more examples of one of my favorite exotic revival styles in Atwater Village.

My favorite street in Atwater is Brunswick, in particular the 3700 block, chock full of fanciful ecletics. (Please see past entries on the Egyptian Revival style: 3/15/2007, 9/10/2007.)

Never had I seen a porte cochere, or reference to, associated with the style, until I glimpsed this heavyweight (also located on Brunswick). Worth noting as well is the orientation of the front door.

I asked an architectural historian the difference between a porte cochere and a car port. "There's no difference dummy," the historian chided, "porte cochere is car port in French."
"But isn't a porte cochere," I regrouped, " a cover for a drive-through entrance, en route to a garage--or carport?"
He rolled his eyes, "you're splitting hairs blog boy."
I pounded my fist in mock theatrics, "my readers need to know!"

Sunday's Open: 2035 W. 29th Place 2 - 5 pm
Tuesday's Open: 2892 W. 15th ST 11 - 2:30 pm (Profile coming Monday)

The High Road to Eagle Rock (Part 2)

So that parapet-ed thing up the hill, turned out to be a rather institutional-looking Mission Revival, built by Joseph Cather Newsom in 1907.

Remarkably plain even for this often simplified building form. Particularly given its architect, one of the kings of Queen Annes.

A Newsom house is for sale (and they aren't often), at ground zero, 3115 W. Adams Boulevard (at Arlington). The property (pictured below) has been described as Italian Gothic, and is known locally as the Elegant Manor. The Elegant Manor, a should-be iconic residence, originally the Fitzgerald House (1903), has a rather colorful recent history, is in need of intensive restoration, and is asking $1.9 million.

The larger than large clinker brick chimney, with the arched window through, is the house's most regaling feature.

The Devil's in the Thingee Part 2

More criss-cross fascia boards, and you thunk it an obscure builder's folly. Not so, an obscure blog writer's folly perhaps.....



We gotcha long tips.

We gotcha teensy-weensy tips, or ends.



We gotcha walk-outs and bays, Tudor details and extra stickwork, the panoply of Craftsman expression.

Does this qualify as another example of faux joinery*? Arguably, since one piece is merely butt jointed (a technique whereby two pieces are joined simply by butting together), rather than cross-keyed, a more exacting technique exhibited in some mission furniture of the time.

*see the archive for postings on beam ends, etc.

Don't make me drop a part 3 on you fools.

Stick Style!

Los Angeles boasts few examples of the Stick Style (previously featured in Architectural Musings), a transitional style which links the preceding Gothic revival with the subsequent, crowd pleasing Queen Anne. That's partly a by-product of the age of L.A.'s built environment (the Stick style was largely cast aside by the 1890's), and the lukewarm popularity of the style itself, less favored than the contemporaneous Italianate and Second Empire building types.

While restoration idol Roland Souza hacks through the deferred maintenance undergrowth on his Stick re-do at 24th ST., this treasure (near Main & 23rd) warrants equal measure.

The signature touch is the siding applied in varying directions and the picket-fence pattern which forms a band at the base of the gable.

The Southland's best known Stick Style building may be the Point Fermin Lighthouse in San Pedro (1874) or the Sherman-Gilbert house (see photo left), with trademark tower in San Diego's Heritage Park.

Before and Just After

The Before 1912 Craftsman. The owner wanted to pursue a new/old exterior color scheme, potentially stymied by the asbestos-cement siding (installed atop the original wooden clapboard and shingle).

Asbestos-cement is a mixture of Portland cement reinforced with asbestos fibers, first produced by Johns-Manville in 1905 as a coating, and used originally in chimneys.

The After
Experiments with asbestos, as a building material valued for its fire resistance, began as early as the 1880's; but without a binder, these long, thin, naturally occurring fibers proved too coarse and abrasive.

The cement-asbestos composite, pre-formed beginning in 1907, demonstrated incredible durability, and could be inexpensively molded (to imitate wood or other) and mass-produced.

As early as 1920, the National Board of Fire Underwriters recommended asbestos-cement shingles as a roof covering. The product enjoyed extensive use, on roofs and as siding, between 1930 and 1973, when it was banned.

Some building professionals recommend total household asbestos removal, be it ducting, siding, tiling, etc. Others are concerned only with loose or damaged materials, and contend the best and least risky management technique is to leave undisturbed.

Shingles contain non-friable asbestos, which means fibers are only released when they're broken or penetrated, a likelihood with removal.

But why not just paint? Some painters are opposed to working on a surface that cannot be prepped with traditional techniques, and might be damaged with power washing.

In the end, the guys with the haz-mat suits and proper disposal methodologies took a star turn.

Afterwards, the 2 ton-simian evicted, the building archaeologists made the rounds, noting missing aprons, gable details, and a window box.

Here's hoping for Part 2!

Brise Soleils (continued)

Brise soleils are common in American architecture of the 1950's and 60's, as architects grappled with the challenge of linking geometric structure to organic forms.

Much of architecture, from the Shingle style onward, is rooted in similar concerns, the synthesis between the rational-geometric and the organic-rustic-mystical.



In mid-century architecture, the intense interest between inner and outer space, promoted by earlier movements, continued. Aided by cheap, mass produced products like the blocks seen left.

Jury Duty

As the market shook off its holiday torpor, likely fueled by lower prices and bargain basement rates, civic duty intervened. My breaks were stuffed with phone call catch-up and an obsession with the 6th floor view.

The courthouse, spare and unrelenting, might be described as Brutalist architecture, a modernist/minimalist sub-set. The term originates from the French breton brut, or raw concrete, and quixotic architect Le Corbusier.

My view was made more interesting by brise soleils, or sun breakers, a lone and lively piece of architectural adornment, that subtracted weightiness by adding delicacy.

Brise soleils or cobogos, reticulated screen block surfaces (of terra cotta or concrete) are common in California, utilized as a means to deal with harsh Southerly exposures or to balance intimacy and exteriority.

Less common are meshrebeeyahs (or "privacy windows"), a feature in some Islamic architecture: elaborately carved or turned wood screens or latticework.

Think Damascus or Alhambra, or...the Hill Street Courthouse?!

S. Tilden Norton

It was my privilege to serve as a porch docent (and shepherd) during the recent West Adams Heritage Association Holiday Tour. I was stationed at 1656 W. 25th Street, an early work (1905) of accomplished architect S. Tilden Norton, about whom I generated part of the following spiel:

Samuel Tilden Norton, or S. Tilden Norton as he was known (possibly to distinguish himself from former New York governor Samuel Tilden and Olympic wrestler Samuel Norton Gerson), was born in Los Angeles on January 21, 1877, the son of Isaac and Bertha Norton. Isaac Norton, advantageously, was the founder of a building and loan firm. Bertha Norton-Greenbaum is thought to be the first Jewish child born in L.A., in 1851. A graduate of Los Angeles High School in 1895, S. Tilden Norton began his professional training at 18, apprenticing in New York City, and for local architect Edward Neissen.

In 1902, Mr. Norton founded his own architectural practice, later teaming on some of his biggest assignments with partner Frederick H. Wallis (or F.H. Wallis).

S. Tilden Norton was a prominent Jewish citizen, serving as president of the Board of Trustees of Congregation B'Nai B'Rith, the first president of the Jewish Men's Professional Club of Los Angeles, director of the Federation of Jewish Welfare Organizations, president of the Jewish Consumptive Relief, and the Nathan Straus Palestine Society. Subsequently, many of his most prominent works were ecclesiastical : the B'Nai B'rith Lodge (9th & Union, 1923), the Jewish Orphans Home of Southern California (1924), Sinai Temple (407 S. New Hampshire, 1924), Young Men's Hebrew Association (Soto St. and Michigan Ave, 1925), Israel Temple (Franklin and Argyle, 1927), and a clubhouse for the Council of Jewish Women (1928). He was also one of three architects attributed with the iconic Wilshire Boulevard Temple, completed in 1929 at Hobart & Wilshire, and for whom he served as president in the 1950's.

Norton is further credited with several surviving downtown landmarks including the 1927 Financial Center Building (with F.H. Wallis) at 704 S. Spring St. (which housed his own office), the William Fox Building (now the Fox Jewelry Mart, 608 S. Hill St., 1929), and the opulent Los Angeles Theatre (1930 co-credit with S. Charles Lee). The Los Angeles Theatre enjoys continuing life as a prime venue during the Last Remaining Seats program. Other enduring highlights include The Greek Theatre (1913) and the Shane Building (Hollywood & Cherokee, 1930 now "Hollywood Center").

S. Tilden Norton and his family lived for many years in Fremont Place where he was known to design at least one home. He died in 1959 at 82 years of age.

Harvard Heights henchmen Danny Miller and Bob Myers contributed to this piece.

Rise, Tile Riser

The tiled front step riser has returned. A once familiar feature in Spanish Colonial Revival architecture (see left), which culled detail from several eras of Spanish and Mexican architecture, and during the art tile heyday of the 1920's and 1930's.

This decorative jotting is increasingly revisited, applied to non period appropriate architecture, masking concrete steps from here to Cudahy. (Or an entire block of E. 31st ST. , near Trinity, whence all these pictures were taken. ) I've even noted tile adhered recently to the wooden stairs of a 19th century porch.

Sometimes the total walk (and both the rise and the tread and the skirt) is tiled. The astonishingly common design (in images 2 and 3) resembles a colloform pattern: a rounded, globular, mineral texture. I call it, cartoon marble.

On one level, I understand the desire to make decorative a surface that is otherwise flat and undistinguished. Paradoxically, this embellishment is often instituted by homeowners who've otherwise obliterated substantial architectural decoration.

This love of tilos, however chintzy--mostly chintzy, and possibly inspired by a form of mal du pays (or country sickness/homesickness), at times runneth amok. I visited one turn-of-the century cottage, at the behest of a feedback-seeking agent, positively girdled in tile. A light-colored porous tile, single-fired, blanketed inside and out. "Easy to clean", the agent offered. "To whose standard", I challenged, "certainly not mine. The grout is filthy."

"The wood floors were old," this agent continued. "I'm sure", I added, "nonetheless your sellers have covered $12,000 in hardwood with $800 in hardibacker and uniform tile. Would one trade a '37 Duesy with a flat tire for an '07 Kia?" I hoped the sellers, sequestered within earshot, might recall my objections when faced again with old wood floors. (Added to the list of, ill-advised alterations beget ill-advised alterations: tiled over floor registers spurred the installation of vertical wall furnaces.)

Note the shallow rise on the bottom step (in the final image). Like roofing strata, this walk has accrued multiple tile layers. A new door has been added too, possibly because the former may no longer have cleared the built-up threshold. If something needs fixing, it's sometimes reasoned, it's inherently less good than the thing that doesn't, ergo it ought to be replaced.

Jeez, a row of 49 cent tiles can sure lead to a lot of mess.

Additions, Not Just in the Rear Anymore

Porch enclosures are a common architectural alteration. Most Historic Preservation Overlay Zones prohibit such alterations, but in neighborhoods without watchdogs or policing powers, enclosures, porch build-outs, and front additions are widespread; and, where the set-backs allow, legal. (Above: an early porch addition, pleasantly outfitted with matching casements and sidelights)


Left: a recent modification. An open vestibule remains, with three doors, presumably for tenant use, to access either side of the enclosed porch and the main house. Nothing says cheap remodel any louder than square vinyl windows.

Despite the recent window installation, I'm guessing this project intends to do more than just re-build an open air space. Here's an idea expansion-lusting homeowners: consult an architect.

What's the opposite of a face lift, a face drop? Note the slightly different roof pitch on the front end, also the klutzy pink stucco to white clapboard transition.

"What's so good about a porch," one homeowner challenged, "I don't sit there with my kids. I'd rather have a place for tv."

Architectural Musings/Sunday update

I've been fiddling with this entry the last couple days. It's a test submission, as I attempt to alter the blog, allow for comments, create new links, and organize by category. These changes are all in progress. In the meantime please give this a re-read as I've added commentary.

I took this still in the Broadway Square area.

Obviously the massing typifies the Craftsman style, while the treatment in the two gables is atypical.

Siding applied vertically or in varying directions (see photo below, from the Adams-Normandie area) was common in the Stick style, though here the ends are carved (almost pendant like), and the effect is more reminiscent of the Swiss Chalet style, wherein rough cut boards were sometimes nailed to a wooden underlayment.


It also reminds of the Tudor style, renowned for half-timbering, mimicking Medieval infilled timber framing.

*************************************

Saturday October 13th from 1 - 3 pm, I'm having an open at 1114 W. 40th Pl., a Craftsman duplex near the Southwest corner of Exposition Park.




Sunday October 14th from 2 - 5 pm, 2361 W. 20th St. will be open. More on 2361 W. 20th St this week.

Raised Panels

My wife photographs baking creations to share with fellow foodies. Camera phone photos, text, text, text; camera phone photos, text, text, text.

I like to take photographs of panelling. Some of the most primo panelling, most wonderous wainscots, are found in museums. A wainscot, is a decorative facing applied to the lower portion of an interior partition or wall.

Reminder: I'll have 2361 W. 20th St. open tomorrow from 11 - 2:30, and 1114 W. 40th Place open from noon - 2. Both houses boast a board-and-batten wainscot in the dining room. A quintessential Craftsman-style feature.

Boiserie (often used in the plural boiseries) is the term used to define particularly ornate decorative (or carved) panelling, particularly popular in 17th & 18th century French interior design.

A boiserie, unlike wainscotting, can be floor to ceiling.

Cut Outs Part 1

Decorative cut-outs were very popular in turn-of-the-century home building and furniture making.

Homes both modest and grand exhibit these details. On exteriors, cut-outs were most often featured on bargeboards (see image left), or gable vents. (In interiors, the ballusters were the hotess with the mostess).

Card suites, like these clubs, were a very hep motif, hearts the most common.

This amazing balconet in Western Heights is riddled with diamonds. A balconet, incidentally, is not a small balcony, but rather a false balcony. Dig the zig-zag brackets. A planter box? Nah, I don't think so.


Where to start, aside from the whole, tie beam, collar beam, king post, open gable thing? Yeah, the swallows. Fantastic, eh?

Egyptian Revival Returns

The rare Egyptian Revival single family residence (in Longwood Highlands)!!!
It's missing the distinctive columns or bundled shafts, as well as the deep cavetto or gorge-and-roll cornice, but the battered (or sloped) walls and the smooth monolithic exterior finish is a dead give away (though some examples used a cement or smooth ashlar finish). I think some detail has gone missing in the cavities over the awnings, maybe the ever popular, ever horizontal vulture and sun disk symbol, or a wing-spread raven. Tall windows and flat roofs are also associated with the style, particularly in its second coming (1920 - 1930).

Dutch Revival

Los Angeles hasn't many examples of Dutch Renaissance Revival architecture (or Mannerist Revival also termed pont-street Dutch or Flanders Revival), the Van De Kamps Holland Dutch Bakery in Atwater Village may be the most noteworthy.




The trapgevel or Dutch gable is a stair step like design at the triangular gable-end of the building. The top of the parapet wall projects above the roof-line and the top of the brick or stone wall is stacked in a step-like pattern as decoration and as a convienent way to finish the brick courses. It was also motivated by practical concerns, access for roofers, chimney sweeps, etc.


This house might be considered Dutch Revival or Dutch Eclectic, for amongst other features, its steeply pitched parapeted roof and centered gable or pediment with rich entablature. The house resides regrettably and distractingly close to the 10 freeway Hoover off-ramp (on Arapahoe at 22nd). Always I crane my neck to look from the feeder lane, longer than I should.
The revival styles or neo-styles are inconsistent, sometimes because elements from several older styles were combined (so called eclecticism).

Pairs of square, fluted, Greek columns, a Greek revival element (though never found in Greek and Roman prototypes), add to an intense facade.




I think this qualifies as a Fractable, a coping on the gable wall of a building, when carried above the roof, and especially when broken into steps, or curves forming an oriental silouhette.

One day I'll introduce myself to the occupants: "Hi I'm Adam, and I regularly admire your house from the 10."

I haven't yet, but I will. Why not?

Thru-Tenoning

On Friday, whilst getting a tire patched at Kumho tires on Western (again, those marvelously convenient West Adams services), I became transfixed by the house at the corner of Western and 14th St., and the thru-tenoning effect around the window moldings.
I stared and stared, drawing closer and closer, inveigled by the Craftsman cajolery.
"I'll be back", I instructed the yard attendant, "I need
sustenance."

I marveled at the exposed tenon detail, wondering if there was another like it on the block.
(Sadly there wasn't, though I photographed some other cool things on Harvard Heights' northernmost east/west street.)

Some might refer to this detail as a Cross-key Overlay. Surely it's meant to imitate a form of joinery, the process of connection or joining two pieces of wood.

The little man inside me began to recount, "it's like that porch column detail on 29th, one of the 29th's." The tire was repaired by this point, so I coasted down to Jefferson Park in search of a sister detail.

More thru-tenon or exposed-tenon details (with locking pins). The tenon is the male part of a mortise and tenon joint, where the cut end--or tenon fits into the matching opening--or mortise.

The tenon is referred to as exposed or thru because it passes through the mortise (a locking pin in this case holds it in place).

Most of these house details (as evidenced by the photograph left where some pieces have gone missing) are in reality false, the elements are merely attached to the surface (butt-jointed) imitating complex joinery.

Still, they're way cool.

Architecture Term of the Month

Quoins

Large stones or bricks (or block-like form) used primarily to decorate and accentuate the corners of a building. (In some masonry construction, a quoin can actually serve to reinforce a corner.)









Most often laid in vertical series with, usually, alternately large and small blocks. (Though not always, see image on right.)

Trompe l'oeil: quoins painted near an entryway in Manchester Park. A slightly darkened edge gives the illusion of depth.





Tile has been added atop these quoins in Arlington Heights.

From behind the security door, a resident asked about my picture taking. "The tile," I asked, "why cover the corner accents with tile?" The voice responded, "we love tile, we think it's beautiful."
"Would you tile your car?" I asked.


In Los Angeles, Quoins are found on many apartment buildings of the 1930's, like this Normandie revival in the Fairfax district.

Here the edges are rough, or quarry faced.