Owls & Oaks: a house by (and for) Alfred Abernethy
Structure: Alfred Abernethy residence (called Owls & Oaks)Location: Johnson City, TennesseeArchitect: Alfred AbernethyDate: 1951[Editor’s note: the house we’re featuring today will be for sale later this week. We'll update the blog with the listing link when it hits!]Story: If you've visited this site often, you'll no doubt notice that we
House by (and for) Mel O’Brien
Structure: Mel O’Brien ResidenceLocation: Memphis, TennesseeArchitect: Mel O'BrienDate: 1972[Editor’s note: the house we’re featuring today is for sale. If you’d like to skip the story and click over to the house’s listing, here’s the link to the listing: https://bit.ly/3kwbFHo]Story: Although our story will end up in Memphis, Tennessee, it begins
1958 Better Homes & Garden ‘Idea Home’ by Omer Mithun
Structure: 1958 Idea Home (plan 2809-A)Location: Nashville, TennesseeArchitect: Omer MithunDate: 1958+Story: Throughout the early twentieth century, home plans were a standard feature in house magazines. Prospective homeowners could flip through the magazine, purchase the plans they saw with a phone call, and then hire a local company to build it.
House that HOME built by Bruce McCarty
Structure: House that HOME builtLocation: Knoxville, TennesseeArchitect: Bruce McCartyDate: 1957Story: It’s not often there’s a silver screen connection to Tennessee architecture, but today, there is! In the 1950s, NBC was airing a show called Home. The show was hosted by entertainer Arlene Francis and broadcaster Hugh Downs. The show was
House by (and for) Ben McMurry Jr
Structure: Ben McMury Jr Residence Location: Knoxville, TennesseeArchitect: Ben McMurry JrDate: 1951? (the question mark is because I'm like 90% certain on that)Story: At its heart, today’s blog is a father/son story. Let's start with the father, shall we? Ben McMurry Sr (1885-1969) was an East Tennessee architect who, along
Space House by Curtis W. King
Structure: Space HouseLocation: Chattanooga, TennesseeArchitect: Curtis W. KingDate: 1972Story: When you visit this blog, you’ve got one type of mid-century modern architecture on your mind. It’s got straight lines, lots of glass, a flat roof, that sort of thing. California architect Richard Neutra sits atop his rather modern VDL Research House
Irwinton by James T. Mitchell
Structure: Richard Irwin House (called "Irwinton")Location: Ten Mile, TennesseeArchitect: James T. MitchellDate: 1953Story: The year is 1945, the place is Houston, Texas. Alya Dean Smith (a native of Ten Mile, Tennessee) was visiting her brother, a lawyer named Cyril J. Smith. While they visited, Alya was introduced to a successful
Davis House by Bruce McCarty
Structure: Charles Davis HouseLocation: Knoxville, TennesseeArchitect: Bruce McCartyDate: 1960Tidbit: Charles B. Davis was a co-founder of a Knoxville advertising firm called Lavidge & Davis. There's also a potential that he worked at the ad agency Davis Newman Payne. Newspaper portrait of Charles B. Davis At some point, he contracted architect Bruce
House by (and for) Thomas Faires
Structure: Thomas F. Faires ResidenceLocation: Memphis, TennesseeArchitect: Thomas F. FairesDate: 1960Tidbit: The houses architects design for themselves are always interesting to observe. Today, we’re looking at the house of a prominent Memphis architect named Thomas F. Faires. The literature is pretty sparse on Faires. What we do know, is this: Faires