  The 26th Annual
Historic Irvington Home Tour for 2008 and the
Architectural Heritage Center
presented
From Speculation to Preservation: Rice Brothers' Craftsman Homes in
Irvington.
While the big name architects
were
leading the way with cutting edge homes in Irvington, the
developers, who turned those exotic new designs into workable homes that the
middle class wanted and could reasonably afford, were in hot pursuit. Yet quality was never
compromised in these "developer" homes, as builders vied with one another to
meet buyer expectations for fine woodwork, beautiful hardwood floors, and the
finely crafted exterior details found in "Craftsman" style homes -- all the
while serving the practical needs of the rapidly expanding American middle
class.
Architectural historians
Kim Fitzgerald and
Amy McFeeters-Krone presented an illustrated
lecture covering recent discoveries about the great homes built by one of
Irvington's leading developers, the R. Rice Construction Company.
Three Rice homes were on the 2008 Tour, and the
lecture covered their rich history as uncovered in just
the last couple of years. A nomination for the Rice homes under a
"Multiple Property Submission" for designation under National Register of
Historic Places, helped to unearth previously unknown details of the Rice's
productive and creative contribution to Irvington's stock of fine early 20th
Century homes.
Each year the Home Tour Committee works with the Architectural Heritage
Center to develop lectures that help Tour attendees get a deeper understanding
of the historic homes they'll be seeing on the Tour. Check back in early
2009 for details on the lectures scheduled in conjunction with the 2009 Home
Tour. |
