Armco-Ferro House | |
 Built by the American Rolling Mill Company, Middletown Ohio, the Armco-Ferro House was effectively the first of a production model than a prototype.[1] | |
 Interactive map of the house (marked in red) among the others in the district | |
| Location | 212 Lake Front Dr., Beverly Shores, Indiana |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°41′3″N 87°0′6″W / 41.68417°N 87.00167°W |
| Built | 1933 |
| Architect | Scholer, Walter; Et al. |
| Part of | Beverly Shores-Century of Progress Architectural District (ID86001472[2]) |
| Added to NRHP | June 30, 1986 |
The Armco-Ferro House, in the Century of Progress Architectural District in Beverly Shores, Indiana, was originally constructed for the 1933 Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago. "The ... Exposition opened in May of 1933 directed by the theme of science and its role in industrial advancement. Within the Home and Industrial Arts Group were model houses, which featured modern materials, building methods and innovative home appliances, including the Armco-Ferro-Mayflower, Wieboldt-Rostone and Florida Tropical houses, and the House of Tomorrow. All utilized new techniques of design, construction and prefabrication in an attempt to bring the out-of-date housing industry in line with more efficient manufacturing practices such as those used by the auto industry."[3] The Home and Industrial Arts Group was the most successful venue of the Exposition.[4] The Armco-Ferro House was designed by Robert Smith, Jr., of Cleveland, Ohio. It is the only remaining example from the exposition that met the Fair Committee's design criteria; a house that could be mass-produced and was affordable for an American family of modest means. .[4]
From research completed by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS): The Ferro Enamel Corporation, one of the two major sponsors for the ... house, was formed in 1930 by a merger between the Ferro Enameling Company and the Ferro Enamel and Supply Co. The idea of using porcelain enamel for residential construction was introduced by Bob Weaver, president of the newly formed company. Shortly after the merger, Charles Bacon Rowley, architect, designed a four-person house with Ferro-Enamel shingles that the company erected in Cleveland, Ohio, in July 1932.31 Despite the innovative use of ferroenamel as a cladding material, the house was built using conventional wood construction. The first porcelain-enameled frameless steel house was completed ... in South Euclid, Ohio ... Like the Armco-Ferro house, this house was designed by Robert Smith, Jr., and was built by Insulated Steel Corporation; ... In 1932, the American Rolling Mill Company (Armco) ... built a second porcelainenameled frameless steel house ... using Robert Smith, Jr. as architect. The Ferro Enamel Corporation and the Insulated Steel Construction Company collaborated with Armco, thus setting the stage for the partnership that made the Century of Progress home possible.[5]
- ^ Images of America; Beverly Shores, A Suburban Dune Resort, Jim Morrow; Arcadia Press, Chicago, Illinois, 2001, pg 94
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ Maria F. Ali, The Century of Progress Documentation Project (Washington, D.C.: Historic American Buildings Survey, Department of the Interior, 1994), 1, HABS No. IN-239. Appendix A.
- ^ a b Slupski, Janice; Historic Structures Report, Armco Ferro House; Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore; Porter, Indiana; 1990s
- ^ Historic Structures Report; Armco-Ferro House (HS-6); Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore; Porter, Indiana, 2005