3424 Adams St | National or State Registers Record | Wisconsin Historical Society

National or State Registers Record

3424 Adams St

National or State Register of Historic Places
3424 Adams St | National or State Registers Record | Wisconsin Historical Society
NAMES
Historic Name:Schwartz, Bernard and Fern, House
Reference Number:100003551
PROPERTY LOCATION
Location (Address):3424 Adams St
County:Manitowoc
City/Village:Two Rivers
Township:
SUMMARY
Bernard and Fern Schwartz House, aka “Still Bend”
3425 Adams Street, Two Rivers, Manitowoc County
Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright
Built 1940

While notable as among Frank Lloyd Wright’s early/pre-World War II examples of Usonian houses, the Schwartz home is perhaps most well-known for its association with a twenty-two-page feature in the September 26, 1938 issue of Life magazine entitled “Eight Houses for Modern Living.” The magazine had chosen four families located in different geographical areas, each family with an annual income at one of four, specific income levels (between $2,000 and $12,000). Each family was then assigned two architects; one charged with designing a modern house, the other a traditional-style residence. Wright was assigned the Blackbourn family of Minneapolis, Minnesota, whose annual income was $5,000. Although the Blackbourns did not ultimately choose to build the Wright-designed home, its design appealed to Two Rivers resident Bernard Schwartz, who would contact Wright after seeing the magazine article. Although not an exact replica of the published 1938 design, the red brick, Red Tidewater cypress board-and-batten and glass Schwartz home was developed directly from the plans Wright submitted for the 1938 housing promotion. Completed in 1940, the Schwartz family remained in the house until 1970.

The home’s name derives directly from the subdivision in which it was built: the Still Bend Addition. The subdivision took its name from a bend in the river that stills the waters and creates a beautiful natural landscape of marsh grasses and water.

The house was utilized as a private residence through 2003. Between 2003 and 2004, the house underwent a significant restoration effort, after which it has since served as a vacation rental. Although available for rental, the house remains in private hands. Please respect the rights and privacy of the property owner, as well as those who have chosen to experience life in the home.

PROPERTY FEATURES
Period of Significance:1940
Area of Significance:Architecture
Applicable Criteria:Architecture/Engineering
Historic Use:Domestic: Single Dwelling
Architectural Style:Modern Movement
Resource Type:Building
Architect:Frank Lloyd Wright
DESIGNATIONS
Historic Status:Listed in the State Register
Historic Status:Listed in the National Register
National Register Listing Date:03/28/2019
State Register Listing Date:11/30/2018
NUMBER OF RESOURCES WITHIN PROPERTY
Number of Contributing Buildings:1
Number of Contributing Sites:0
Number of Contributing Structures:0
Number of Contributing Objects:1
Number of Non-Contributing Sites:0
Number of Non-Contributing Structures:0
Number of Non-Contributing Objects:0
RECORD LOCATION
National Register and State Register of Historic Places, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin

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