In one form or another, all these homes are still extant.
CRD Publications
Category: Here, There, & Everywhere
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Jerome S. Ames Residence
69 Prospect Street Gardner, MA
The Ames residence is one of the many surviving examples of Barber’s design no. 36 from the “Cottage Souvenir No. 2” pattern book, although this example is without the iconic “T” shaped support for the balcony roof. Historic photos exist for this gem, illustrating that this home was built very similarly to the published illustration. Perhaps someday, this home will get the restoration is deserves? This example features a rather large “Keyhole” shaped stain glass window at the stair landing. At about 6 feet tall, this window is a sight to behold when the sun pours into it.
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Unknown Brockton Residence
134 Spring Street Brockton, MA
This Brockton Massachusetts home appears to be oddly out of place in it’s current setting. Barber originally created this design for construction on a narrow lot, which this house sits on. But this home sits back from the street, unlike it immediate neighbors. It is too bad because the exterior of this home still retains some character elements, so a different setting would do wonders for it’s curb appeal. Still, this unique home is an excellent example of this particular design, one of just 14 recorded to date.
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James A. Kelly Residence
406 W. Main Street Lebanon, KY
The Kelly residence is a classic example of Barber’s design no. 44 from the “Cottage Souvenir No. 2” pattern book, although this example is without the signature tower. Perhaps this example never had the tower originally, only some historic photos would reveal that. This design is often used by Barber scholars as a classic example of how Barber envisioned upgrading a middle-class home to be visually stunning, and projecting an importance within the community. This example still displays the original “Philadelphia” style built-in gutters. Beautiful, but I would love to see her with a color appropriate paint job.
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Unknown Cynthiana Residence
108 S. Church Street Cynthiana, KY
This example looks like a larger, more grandiose version of the published design. I would love to get inside this gem and see how closely the floor plan matches the published layout. I am also still trying to track down the names of the original owners, and the year of construction for this one. Anyone with any historical data regarding this home, please comment below. Thanks.
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Unknown Georgetown Residence
623 S. Broadway Street Cynthiana, KY
Barber published this design under the moniker “Perspective View”, thus promoting the front balcony as a place to take in grand views. With this house I am also still trying to track down the names of the original owners, and the year of construction, so anyone with any historical data regarding this home, please comment below. Thanks.
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August C. Gutzeit Residence
729 E. Main Street Lexington, KY
I finally found this previously unlocated Kentucky residence, lurking on East Main street, in Lexington, KY. So here I am relocating the post of it, to the “Here, There, & Everywhere” category of the BLOG. As you can see, it is not in great shape, on the outside, but hopefully the interior still has much of it’s original architectural character. Anyone in the Lexington area that would like to photograph this house for me, please comment on this page. Thanks.
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Frank L. Rice Residence
7 Enterprise Street, East Boothbay, ME
The Rice residence is another classic example of one of George Barber’s most popular early designs. Design 41 from the initial edition of “The Cottage Souvenir No. 2” was actually published a few years earlier, in the “Scientific American” periodical. So popular was this early design, that by the time of the 1891 initial printing of “The Cottage Souvenir No. 2”, Barber advertised that this design had already been built over 100 times, on nearly as many floor plan arrangements. Mr. Rice was a Lumberman and boat builder, so the house design took on added visual importance. Now the house maintains its connection to the shipbuilding industry, by serving as the main offices of a modern day shipbuilding company.
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John O. Whitney Residence
356 State Street, Ellsworth, ME
The Whitney residence is a largely intact version of Barber’s design number 83, as published in the “New Model Dwellings” pattern book, the first edition which was published in 1894. Mr. Whitney was a Lumber Baron, so the woodwork in this home is exceptional. The first edition of “New Model Dwellings” was the first Barber pattern book to display some Colonial Renaissance designs, Design 83 being one of them. Barber was decidedly reluctant to acknowledge “Colonial” architecture as the new American aesthetic, following the impressive gleam of the great “White City”, that of the 1893 Colombian Exposition in Chicago. As it turns out, Barber could not stop the inevitable.
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