At Home Living: Architectural types shaped early Topeka

Not until architect Witold Rybczynski built his own home did he discover at first hand the fundamental poverty of modern architectural ideas, he writes in Home, A Short History of an Idea. I found myself turning again and again to memories of older houses, and older rooms, and trying to understand what had made them feel so right, so comfortable.

During the first 110 years after Topeka became a city, its residents built in a surprising array of architectural stylesusing native materials including brick, limestone and wooden planks. Surviving examples, lovingly maintained or restored, anchor the citys neighborhoods in North Topeka, Oakland and north of 10th Street, along a northeast to southwest corridor that runs between Kansas Avenue and Gage Boulevard. [See accompanying map and photos on cjonline.com.]

Historic Topeka, Inc., honored that diversity in a brochure produced nearly 20 years ago, identifying the unique architectural styles found in Topeka, locating each by neighborhood and identifying photograph. Our acknowledgements go to that group, which was active in local preservation efforts for more than 20 years. When the group dissolved its membership, continuing responsibility for local building restoration efforts and preservation activism was bequeathed to a new generationappreciative of the craftsmanship and architecture distinctive to a Topeka their grandparents might have known.

Many examples of this architectural diversity, some peculiar to the Midwest and Frontier Kansas, still can be seen on a tourby foot, bike or carthrough the neighborhoods they distinguish. For a helpful guide, when viewing these stately mansions, elaborately-trimmed Victorians and geometrically solid Prairie Style houses, refer to the re-creation of that Historic Topeka pictorial that follows.

Architectural styles are located by Topeka neighborhood and national region, a description follows of distinctive features and design influences, with photo illustrations. Road or street locations of local examples are provided. Navigate the vocabulary list and look over the accompanying map. Then get your bike out, grab a camera and some bottled water, and travel back a few centuries in time.

North Topeka

Style: Two or three stories, seldom one, built from brick, stone and wood; overhanging eaves with decorative and often paired supporting brackets beneath a low-pitched, hipped roof commonly topped by a square cupola or tower; tall, narrow windows, arched and set under inverted U-shaped hooded or pedimented crowns; elaborate, bracketed cornices and single-story porches.

Regions: This was a popular style in the Midwest, the Northeast seaboard area and in San Francisco; it is least common in The South, where there was little construction till after the Civil War and Reconstruction. The style began in England as part of the Picturesque Movement--a reaction to the formal, classical ideals dominating art and architecture for 200 years. Similar styles: Renaissance Revival, Informal Italian Villa. Local: Lower Silver Lake Road.

Style: Eastlake and the earlier, Stick Style, 1860-1880, refer to woodwork trim. This included lathe-turned spindle posts, balusters and railings and scroll-sawn cornices on porches; decorative brackets supported extended eaves; gable ends, window and door cornices were worked floral or geometric designs of raised wood. Named for English furniture designer, Charles Eastlake, the ornate trims and wood turnings also appear on the exteriors of Stick style houses.

Regions: Eastlake style is common in Northeast suburban and resort areasit was considered appropriate for wood-built summer cottages but not for urban homes. Brick versions create picturesque detail by pattern or color of brickwork. A West Coast Stick style, 1880-1895, developed unique features including a squared bay window and pilaster-trimmed windows and doors. [Local Landmark: The Segar Place, built in 1888 at 1132 NW Harrison in North Topeka, is Eastlake Victorian.] Local: NW Harrison Street.

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At Home Living: Architectural types shaped early Topeka