Alvin Miller Residence
Alvin Miller Residence
Does anybody have information about the Alvin Miller Residence in Charles City Iowa? Is it still on the market? The listing price?
-
Michael Holubar
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Tue Jul 28, 2009 11:14 am
-
Oak Park Jogger
- Posts: 78
- Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2007 2:21 pm
The Alvin Miller House is still for sale. I looked at it a couple of weeks ago and found it quite interesting.
First, the house did sustain non-structural damage in the big flood of the Cedar River , and needs work. It has been stripped down to the studs to prevent mold from forming, and lost some of its built in cabinets, though some items were removed from the house and are in separate storage. While I've not seen an engineering report, the house looks quite fixable, though it would be a project.
Second, and this isn't evident in the listing as I read it, the current owners created a very interesting addition to the original house. In the Monograph, Volume 7, Illus. 214-218, you will find the original plans for the house, which was to be part of a larger complex with a dental office and second house, all connected, in this lovely location on the river. While only the first house was built originally, the addition uses the plans for the hexagonal dental clinic portion to create the exterior that Wright intended. The interior is divided into two bedrooms instead of a bunch of examining rooms and a laboratory, and could easily be divided into three bedrooms. The hall follows the hallway in the original design, the interior detailing is based on the original design to the greatest extent possible (done with great care) though a fireplace is added to the lab area (master bedroom) and two good sized bathrooms are fitted in at the eastern end. The owners also purchased the lot to the east where the second house would have been added to the complex with the idea that at some point they would complete the entire project. The care and consideration that went into this addition is clearly evident; the stone for the interior walls is from the same source as the stone on the original house, the woodwork carries through, etc. The owner showed me through and clearly has the kind of care and respect for the design and the building that you would hope every owner of a Wright house would have. She has worked with a contractor in Charles City who knows the house well and would be a good resource in doing the work that needs to be done.
If you're interested you should definitely take a look at this house. While it requires work the house has a wonderful feel to it, and to put it all back together would be a very gratifying project.
Charles City is about 30 miles from Mason City, where the hotel/bank project is well underway now.
First, the house did sustain non-structural damage in the big flood of the Cedar River , and needs work. It has been stripped down to the studs to prevent mold from forming, and lost some of its built in cabinets, though some items were removed from the house and are in separate storage. While I've not seen an engineering report, the house looks quite fixable, though it would be a project.
Second, and this isn't evident in the listing as I read it, the current owners created a very interesting addition to the original house. In the Monograph, Volume 7, Illus. 214-218, you will find the original plans for the house, which was to be part of a larger complex with a dental office and second house, all connected, in this lovely location on the river. While only the first house was built originally, the addition uses the plans for the hexagonal dental clinic portion to create the exterior that Wright intended. The interior is divided into two bedrooms instead of a bunch of examining rooms and a laboratory, and could easily be divided into three bedrooms. The hall follows the hallway in the original design, the interior detailing is based on the original design to the greatest extent possible (done with great care) though a fireplace is added to the lab area (master bedroom) and two good sized bathrooms are fitted in at the eastern end. The owners also purchased the lot to the east where the second house would have been added to the complex with the idea that at some point they would complete the entire project. The care and consideration that went into this addition is clearly evident; the stone for the interior walls is from the same source as the stone on the original house, the woodwork carries through, etc. The owner showed me through and clearly has the kind of care and respect for the design and the building that you would hope every owner of a Wright house would have. She has worked with a contractor in Charles City who knows the house well and would be a good resource in doing the work that needs to be done.
If you're interested you should definitely take a look at this house. While it requires work the house has a wonderful feel to it, and to put it all back together would be a very gratifying project.
Charles City is about 30 miles from Mason City, where the hotel/bank project is well underway now.
-
NickSpellman
- Posts: 24
- Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:53 am
-
Oak Park Jogger
- Posts: 78
- Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2007 2:21 pm
-
Roderick Grant
- Posts: 11815
- Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 7:48 am
-
Oak Park Jogger
- Posts: 78
- Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2007 2:21 pm
If you're interested in the price, contact the phone number you'll find in the listing in the "For Sale" section. You will be put in touch with the owner, who indicated a willingness to negotiate in the interest of selling the house. The house has a very nice feel to it, but does need work. And the owner can put a potential buyer in touch with a contractor who knows the house well, having built the addition.
Charles City is a small town in Iowa, though as readers of this site know people can commute to Oskaloosa for a wonderful FLW home, and someone could do the same for this interesting house.
I'll try to get some photos posted. The directions from a couple of weeks ago looked clear, but would allow you access to other albums, and I don't think anyone wants to see pictures of our last vacation. . . .
Charles City is a small town in Iowa, though as readers of this site know people can commute to Oskaloosa for a wonderful FLW home, and someone could do the same for this interesting house.
I'll try to get some photos posted. The directions from a couple of weeks ago looked clear, but would allow you access to other albums, and I don't think anyone wants to see pictures of our last vacation. . . .
A link does not get the img markings:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/48303843@N06/
to make an individual photo show, you put the url of the photo's page between the img marks:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/48303843@N06/
to make an individual photo show, you put the url of the photo's page between the img marks:
There are also some really good photos in this older thread:
http://savewright.org/wright_chat/viewtopic.php?t=2495
http://savewright.org/wright_chat/viewtopic.php?t=2495
-
Paul Ringstrom
- Posts: 4777
- Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2005 4:53 pm
- Location: Mason City, IA
From: Connie Parson, Parson Real Estate
"Thank you for the inquiry. The interior has been gutted and sanitized and there has been a satisfactory structural inspection. $100-150,000 is the restoration estimate."
REAL ESTATE LISTING:
http://www.parsonrealestate.com/list/re ... ndex.shtml
"Thank you for the inquiry. The interior has been gutted and sanitized and there has been a satisfactory structural inspection. $100-150,000 is the restoration estimate."
REAL ESTATE LISTING:
http://www.parsonrealestate.com/list/re ... ndex.shtml