For sale: Alfred Browning Parker house - West Palm Beach, FL

[DavidC]

261 Desota Road, ‘SoSo’ W.P.B, FL. 33405 - (1:52)

Realtor listing


David

[SDR]

A Parker "starter house"---who knew ? Certainly the least prepossessing property in his portfolio, but replete with Wrightian touches like a carport, corner window, and distant echo of Taliesin stonework. Take in the photos---and maybe the video, unless you're prone to sea-sickness ?

Parker deserves a monograph, to accompany his "You and Architecture" (Delacorte, 1965), which contains images of his work but not nearly enough of them . . .

S

[Roderick Grant]

SDR, don't forget "The Architecture of Alfred Browning Parker: Miami's Maverick Modernist" by Randolph C. Henning.
ABP was also a favorite of HB back in the 50s. Many of his houses were featured, even on the covers.

[SDR]

Right. I first heard of him through the Stoller connection, but didn't follow up for decades. Thanks for the reference to Randy Henning's book, which I haven't seen.

S

[Randolph C. Henning]

Very curious . . this might be another example of another realtor trying to attach a name to a house to sell it. There are certainly remnants of mid-20th century modern elements but there are also certain tells and clues that aren't consistent with ABP. Certainly this one could have slipped through the cracks of ABP's office in the (I'm guessing) early 1950's. But I'm unconvinced and will remain unconvinced until I see the realtor's proof.

[Roderick Grant]

Randolph, I felt unsure, too. As I recall, over 70 years ago Parker had begun designing his own "House Beautiful of the Year" in 1949. It is hard to believe that he would have done this little cottage any time after that.

[SDR]

The mixed roof pitches are troubling; I can't make out whether those portions of the house could be an addition . . .

S

[Randolph C. Henning]

Actually Roderick, ABP was involved as an architect in many speculative housing developments in the late 1940's and throughout the 1950's where he designed many homes similar in size and price point to this one. However, all that I know of were designed and built in the Miami Dade County area.

[HorsedogRanch]

I just bought an old, very crooked, very random level house in West Palm unincorporated. How would I know if this was also a ABP home? I don’t yet have the plans.

[SDR]

Was the house listed by a realtor with an online presence ? Are there photos we could look at ?

S

[HorsedogRanch]

No, it wasn’t. There have only been 2 owners since the mid-50s. I’m hesitant to post the listing. See link. Hope it works.

[HorsedogRanch]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/eoWs7EQ2XF26TicH7

[SDR]

Thanks for that. There are signs of an architect's involvement here---handsome layout of principal spaces, a distinguished entry door, consistent use of selected details such as roof eave treatment, overhead structure, and windows, an unusual kitchen cabinet form---but I don't expect that architect to be ABP. Do you know the date of construction ?

Consistency of detailing is merely the expected architectural norm, of course. In this house the roof forms, the exposed rafter tails, the vertical exterior and interior wall claddings, all are perfectly familiar vernacular residential building. One thinks of early W W Wurster, or perhaps Cliff May, both of whom were surely influenced by, and reacted to, what we see in your house. They were working in the far West. Your house might even reflect certain Scandinavian ancestors; coastal houses there sometimes look very much the same.

The double exposure of the living room, with its axial overlook of the lower property, is particularly nice. The level changes no doubt respond to the topography of the site. I'd be interested to see more of what the approach to the house looks like---and of course any drawings that turn up . . .

Thanks for the peek, and welcome to the site ! Keep us in the loop please, if you care to . . .

S

[Roderick Grant]

We would have to bow to our local ABP expert, Randolph Henning.

[SDR]

Ah. Bring it on, Randy ! We're just getting warmed up, here . . .

S