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
Wagner House by Paul Smithhisler
Structure: Wagner HouseLocation: Spring City, TennesseeArchitect: Paul “Smitty” SmithhislerDate: 1961Story: I’m just gonna spoil something up front here: there are so many photos of the house I want to showcase that I have no choice but to sprinkle them all throughout the blog (willy nilly). Whatever ones I can't get
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