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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHistorical Landmark - 1631 Lincolnway West- ~. ORDINANCE No. ease-se Passed by the Common Council of the City of South Bend, Indiana April 13, 19 ~_ Attest: Arrest: City Clerk Presented by me to the Mayor of the City of South Bend, Indiana Apri I 14, 19 98 President of Common Council City Clerk Approved and signed by me Apri 1 15 19 9 $ Mayor ORDINANCE N0. ~~ (U AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE, AND ESTABLISHING AN HISTORIC LANDMARK FOR THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1631 LINCOLNWAY WEST, IN THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA Whereas, The Historic Preservation Commission of South Bend and St. Joseph County has petitioned for the designation of the following described real estate as an Historic Landmark under the Ordinance No. 5565-73, as amended to wit: legal description Lot ;<~35, Augustine~s Addition to the City of South Bend Whereas, The Historic Preservation Commission of South Bend and St. Joseph County has recommended the designation of the PROPERTY as an historic landmark. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA: SECTION 1. That the above described PROPERTY be, and it is here designated and established as an Historic Landmark under Ordinance No. 5565-73, as amended. SECTION 2. That this ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage by the Common Council, approval by the Mayor and its publication. ~~ Member of the Common Council 1st P.EADING /p~ ~~~ PUB11C HEARWG ~~- /,3-~j8 3 rd READING 1 ~ ~3 _ c~ NOT APPROVE REFERRED PASSED /~/~Y' Ro. filed in Cleric's ~ffie~ DEC - ~ 1997 LORETT~1 J. DUDA CITY CLERK, 30. ®END, IN. COMMITEE REPORT TO THE COMMON COUNCII, OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND: Your Commitee of the Whole, to whom was refereed: BILL NO. 133-97 A BILL AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE, AND ESTABLISHING AN HISTORIC LANDMARK FOR THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1631 LINCOLNWAY WEST, IN THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA Respectfully report that they have examined the matter and that in their opinion, this bill has been recommended to the Council favorably. John Broden Chairman PROPOSED LOCAL LANDMARK 1631 LINCOLNWAY WEST SOUTH BEND, INDIANA Historic Preservation Commission of South Bend and St. Joseph County December, 1997 ~il~~f in Ci~rgo`~ Office DEC - ~? 1997 LOFiETI'a.J. L~UCt~ CRY CLEH6C, 80.6END, tea. E rood u everd 0 0 8p O .017 -016 v ~ 010 d -006 N `O' .014 011 .007 Calhoun Street -013 012 007 .018 . .008 -005 'x.006 . .029 .025 .031 .019 -026 .028 -O3 033 .036 .037 .020 ,p24 .038 .021 -022 -027 030 035 Mumbo It tre aS -023 .034 \\ 2 8 .074 073 .068 060'052 051 043 042 W \1e ~ . . , r m ° oP m .080 .061 059.05 050 .047 044 .041 p ~ ° o 072.069 .062 .09 ~ .075 ,070 , 0 y0 x 085 079.076 067 06 -063 058 057.054 0 a9a ~ 040 03 .08d 078 .071 -066 064 56.05 ° 46~ . reeve ree mN m 115316 .1J essay ree 151 N .09 ~ 077 O~p~ o - -11 _138 149 164 N _324.12 -361 '70 3 q 0 ~ ti a V° O -127 125 128 .139 -148 -152 -160 Bon s Avenue O o v .,, ~ N . . -140 .147 153.154 .159 ~o •o N O y .129 .155 -158 -165 O' m o O ° 113 '- .130 .14 -146 -l4c .156 .16 ^ . .334 m rN ~. .. O 5 Hdrt2er$ ree - J.v v ~ ' , .187 N 185 W~ ' N .174 .172 NYQ~ a W M .. 175 .173 166 m 0 .lea W .- . o 167 m .18 .182 P u :. ni . _171 e Prast Street NN j ua .183 .179 V P P H Y 18 217 . G . N 213 8 .218 rederickson S reel N a o N N 212 .214 .21 216 •21 2 -, N 00 ~ m.0 .210 _ ° N ~+ N Ru el uestmoor5 ree .224.22 N .225 N .22722 O .22 22A .221 eendix Park ~ ueruln 15treet 230 ° o °n9 eY Street N ~ J c N ~ over Street i nn NN ~ N wt O ~ a u ~ NNN ~ -2 ~ , + ~ m v o ~'~ OrN N N N N N o n 260 « N !lneC 252 u a n n N N W s ~ c 256.25 O N N h e O L N N N ~ L ~ L ~ N 1 '+Y N N N N N N V V PV .26 a• C 5 P Nn N N L ° 26 P P O J m O .277 N wr E F oren m m m m v v e L LL Smlt a -28a n m W N O 0 ~O) N N N ry m P L m N N P location of property LOCATION MAP CURRENT PHOTOGRAPHS 1631 Lincolnway West HISTORICAL CONTEXT This property is located on Lincolnway West which is the twentieth Century name for the Michigan road which was opened in the early 1830's as the first connecting road between Lake Michigan and the Ohio River. This lot was platted in 1904. However, the assessor's records indicate no structures constructed in that year and only a few in 1905 and 1906. The South Bend Brewing Association Brewery directly across the street was constructed in 1905. The building presently being considered was constructed in the first wave of major development of Augustine's Addition in 1907. The house was constructed for William Clem, Superintendent for the County Schools and Library from 1$97 until 1909. Apparently, Clem had the house constructed for his ward Harold Werst. Young Mr. Werst, the son of Alanzo Werst, was born nearly nine months following his father's suicide in 1896. Alanzo was a locally notable builder, working in partnership with his Father, Decatur Werst, who had moved to St. Joseph County in 1868.Prior to taking his own life, West had been embroiled in controversy regarding corruption in the selection of contractors for. the new County Courthouse although this was not referred to in his suicide note which cited poor health and indebtedness. The latter no-doubt contributed to the need for appointment of a guardian for the boy. Acting for young Werst, William Clem purchased this and other lots in 1907 and had the house constructed. By 1912 they had rented the property to William Wenrick, a department superintendent at Studebaker, who purchased the property in 1920. Mr. wenrick resided here until his death in 1939 at. the age of 66. The house was sold at auction the following year to Mary Kruehl who maintained it as a rental property. The masonry bearing wall construction of this house utilizing concrete blocks with exposed faces articulated to simulate the appearance of stone was an alternative to frame construction promoted during .the first three decades of the Twentieth Century. Although the use of this bock was common for foundations, basements, commercial buildings, and garages, its employment in South Bend area house construction was not .extensive. Only three two story four-square style houses with stone faced concrete bearing walls are known to be still existing in the city with a few others in :the small towns and rural areas of St. Joseph County. A similar number of smaller bungalow houses have also been found. The concrete blocks were typically produced at the construction site using molds which were available from Sears, Besser Manufacturing of Alpena Michigan and the Ideal Concrete Manufacturing Company of Ontario, Canada. Sears also offered the machines as part of their kit house packages from 1908 until 1918. A single worker could produce about fifty of these blocks per day using these machines. At the time of the subject house's construction, this method was considered to be the cutting edge of residential construction. During the 1930s, the hand operated machines were supplanted by more automated methods with the attendant loss of the stone face feature. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION The house is a two story foursquare type constructed entirely in split-rock faced concrete block with a pyramidal roof which features an attic gable to the front and east sides. These gable walls are finished in stucco/half timber effect. A one story covered front porch which is also constructed in the split-faced block including the porch knee-wall and piers which support tuscan columns. Windows are one over one double-hung type. A small wood framed vestibule ,with car-siding and a hip roof is located at the rear. The house is located on a typical residential lot which is elevated relative to the street. A wood frame garage is located at the rear by the alley. RECOMMENDATION Based on the Historic Preservation Commissions Local Landmarks Criteria, the building at 1631 Lincolnway West has been recommended by the Historic Preservation Commission to the Common Council as a Local Historic Landmark. The building meets the criteria in at least three areas: 1.) Its character, interest and value as part of the development, heritage, or Culture of the city of South Bend, St. Joseph County, the state of Indiana, or the United States of America. 2.) Its Embodiment of elements of architectural design, detail, materials, or .craftsmanship which represents an architectural characteristic or innovation. 3.) Its suitability for preservation. The building fulfills criteria .~kl as an example of a single family house which is among the earliest to be constructed on this section of Lincolnway West, one of the major growth corridors of the city. The building fulfills criteria ~k2 as an example of a single family house constructed entirely of concrete block molded to replicate split faced stone. Although this material was commonly employed in foundations for frame buildings, relatively few structures used this material so extensively. The building fulfills criteria 4F'3 by the integrity of its original construction with only minor alterations. DBD 12/4/97 - South Bend and St. Joseph Country HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION Room 1123, County-City Building South Bend, IN 46601 (219)235-9798 Fax (219)235-9598 John Oxian, President David Duvall, Director Common Council of the City of South Bend C/0 Ms. Loretta Duda, Clerk of the City of South Bend 4th Floor County-City Building South Bend, Indiana 46601 December 9, 1997 Honorable Council Members, Please find .attached a proposed amendment to the City of South Bend's Zoning Ordinance. The purpose of the amendment is to establish the property located at 1631 Lincolnway West as a Local Landmark. A copy of the Historic Preservation Commission Staff Report for this proposal is also attached providing background and procedural information on this proposal. We appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to presenting the Landmark proposal to the council. Please call if you have any questions regarding the proposed ordinance. Yours truly, David B. Duvall R.A., Director cc: John Oxian - President, HPC ~I~cc~ If"1 ~a~l3Y~w~~ O~$ICG DEC - :? i997 LORirTTF. J~~i)t 3i?.~ CITY CLERK :KY. 3E~d1. %pt. COMMISSIONERS John Borkowski Adrian Fine J. Edward Talley Martha Choitz Catherine Hostetler Jerry Weiner Janeanne Petrass