Well maintained Ted van Fossen 1957 house

[Modmom1]

Thought you all would enjoy to see a "57 Ted van Fossen house in Rush Creek village with some beautiful and well maintained detailing. Lots of photographs!

https://www.cymack.com/property/240-221 ... FLX-usJd9Q

[SDR]

! ! ! ! !

I thought I had seen van Fossen; I hadn't. Thank you ! My day is made . . .

(Be sure to expand photos for the full effect.)



S

[Modmom1]

This is the original Wakefield House (Dick and Martha Wakefield were the developers with Ted van Fossen as the designer of the community of ~ 50 organic modernist homes in Rush Creek Village in Worthington OH)

Note the bas relief on image 8 and on the door on image 23. van Fossen had worked as a carpenter on '39 Armstrong under Tony Smith and Larry Cuneo (apprentices) and I wondered if he was responsible for fabricating the bas relief in that residence. (Seen on image 24 in this link of Armstrong: https://www.realtor.com/realestateandho ... 05#photo23)

Found a better pic of Armstrong bas relief and a comment suggesting it was by John Howe, but note the similarities with van Fossen's pieces: http://wrightchat.savewright.org/viewto ... 69#p108469

[SDR]

Wonderful. So, van Fossen was a hands-in maker as well as designer ? I did not know that (in Johnny Carson voice---or was it Ed McMahon ?). Thanks !

S

[Modmom1]

I have a January 1941 letter from Mary Gunning to Tony Smith (courtesy of the Tony Smith Estate-thankfully he archived everything)expressing how much the house means to them and at the end it states "Give my regards to Ted and tell him those parts of the house where we sit and work and keep things are really beautiful." This is consistent with what the Gunning's children remember - that Tony Smith (age 27 and experienced through his family's foundry as well as an apprentice with Wright) was mainly responsible for the design, while Ted (age 19 yo and not an apprentice-served as a laborer under Smith and Cuneo on Armstrong (IN) and Suntop Homes (PA)was mainly responsible for building the cabinetry and built in furniture.

After Smith passed away in 1980, TvF claimed more of the design of Glenbrow than the family members had been told by their parents. He learned a lot working with Smith and later Whitney R. Smith in California, until he returned to Ohio in the early 1950s and joined forces with the Wakefields to create RCV.

[SDR]

Thanks for that, Modmom. I'm learning more about this man from you than from any other source. Is he worthy of a monograph ? Of course he is . . .

This is a remarkable house. Is the plan Y-shaped, X-shaped, K-shaped ? Neither perhaps---but the fully-glazed dining "corridor" is reminiscent of the one at Auldbrass, and if not is nevertheless a delightful episode.

And the woodwork ! Beautiful in color, perfect in condition---and so much of it. Truly a treasure . . .

S

[Modmom1]

Article on house with additional photos for those interested:

https://www.dispatch.com/story/lifestyl ... 994780001/

[Roderick Grant]

This is a very complex house. A floor plan would have been helpful.

[1and1appliance]

This is a really interesting topic! I would love to know more about this.

Appliance Repair Service in Wheaton

[SDR]

Are the van Fossen papers held somewhere ?

S

[Modmom1]

The University of Minnesota has archived material.

https://archives.lib.umn.edu/repositori ... urces/2151

This links to papers from the Pepinski residence in Rush Creek Village and may be of interest (but different house):

https://www.ohiomemory.org/digital/coll ... der/nosort