Article: Mathews House -photos / NRHP Nomination

[DavidC]

California State Historical Resources Commission to Consider 13 Properties for Action – Includes the Strand Theater in Merced


David

[SDR]

The Mathews house (odd spelling, yes) deserves more attention. It's a hidden gem, and vulnerable on its choice flat treed lot in pricy Atherton. Will it now be safe ?

S

[Tom]

I've seen it from the outside.
Very difficult to find photographs of this place if I recall correctly.
Wonder what the archives have on it?

[SDR]

Well, the Artstor archive has nothing, under the name of the client anyway, and I don't know of an alternate route. Odd . . .

The last time we addressed the house was in January, when I think we hadn't yet been alerted to the presence of the Artstor treasury:

http://wrightchat.savewright.org/viewto ... f=2&t=4621

S

[Duncan]

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/15 ... blueprints

[SDR]

Thanks, Duncan. I have seen the set of prints at that size for the house; the current owner has been provided with a copy of the drawing set, which includes a few supplemental sheets by Aaron Green. Architect WJS, our Bill Schwarz, assumed the responsibility a couple of years back for getting the house properly re-roofed.

S

[Duncan]

There is also this thread from a few years back....

http://wrightchat.savewright.org/viewtopic.php?t=7473

[SDR]

Thanks for that link. For those who are looking closely, I should point out that the color photo on that first page has been "flopped" accidentally by the publisher (Chronicle Books); the carport just out of sight at the right should be on the left side of the entrance.

S

[pmahoney]

Should be noted that this house was designed with an intricate roof shingle geometry, the same ridge details first used on the Baker house in 1909, then Taliesin and Graycliff. But at the Mathews house it was adapted to the 60 degree angles of the plan and the asymmetrical roof section. Each one of these making the execution much more difficult. This was not executed originally, but was finally realized under Bill Schwarz's direction just prior to the October 2016 conference. One of the most intricate roof's by Wright ever executed and now realized thanks to Bill and the current owners.

[SDR]

Pat forwards two of his photographs of the house, as employed for promotion of a 2018 event:

[SDR]

The dining table designed for the house was removed at some point; in typical Usonian fashion it was placed against, or fastened to, the masonry to the right of the fireplace (as viewed in Pat's photo).



Storrer's plan places a table connected to the screen wall which separates the workspace from the loggia. His plan is likely more accurate in other details, however. Perhaps on his visit he found the original table moved to the location he indicates ?



© 1993 by William Allin Storrer

[jay]

Will it now be safe ?

I do wonder if the NRHP is a bit of a scarecrow... As in, a sign that says (implicitly) 'this property isn't worth the nuisance you'll have if you try to demolish it".... Because as I understand it, the NRHP provides no real protection:

"Listing in the National Register places neither restrictions nor requirements on a private property owner. You may do with the property as you wish, within the framework of local laws or ordinances. You are not required to maintain the property in any specific way; you may demolish the property without federal permission."

From: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/faqs.htm

[juankbedoya]

This is one of those houses that I have researched but there is very few information and pictures. I'm intrigued with the resolution of the floor plan. Wright usually separates private and social areas but here you enter directly to the bedrooms wing, cross the workspace and dining room to finally arrive to the living room. Any idea of this route?

[DavidC]

A Rare Opportunity For The Wright Home


David

[juankbedoya]

Mathews is on the market right? is already any site to see its pictures?