Rhodes and Walters Apts 608-614 W Market St, 16 Rhodes Ave. National Historic Register 7001296 (currently Nela Manor II) The Rhodes was built in 1912, and the Watters in 1925, in the midst of the rubber industry boom and as part of an important period in the history of architecture. The twentieth century from 1900 to 1940 introduced a style of architecture that would respond to the industrialization of cities and the lifestyles which accompanied this industrialization. During this time architects attempted in their designs to create an architecture that uniquely responded to the rapid growth and expansion of the period combined with the latest innovations in building materials and construction techniques. Multifamily residences are one example of the architecture created to respond to this almost overnight growth in population. The Rhodes, three story apartment building with an additional facade on the basement level, and the Watters, a three to four story building, are prime examples of the architecture of this era, not only because they are multifamily residences but also because they incorporate the relationship between interior and exterior spaces. Along with other apartment complexes in West Hill, including The Ontario, The Alcazar, The Ambassador, The Westmont (listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1984), and The Seville Apartments, the Rhodes and Watters Apartments are referred to as garden apartments. The term “garden apartment” often referred to structures with lawns in front of them, garden courtyards, and porches. These features offered a stark contrast to the kind of amenities found in urban row house rental properties. The property, along with other such apartments, encouraged a new form of suburban development. Garden apartments were designed in a variety of architectural styles classified by their form, structure, features, and ornament. The Rhodes and Watters Apartments are significant because each of their architectural styles differ from other garden apartment examples in the area. The examples previously mentioned were designed in the NeoClassical, Hispano-Moresque Revival, Neo-Gothic Revival, Tudor, and Spanish Renaissance Revival styles respectively. While the Westmont Apartments exemplify the Tudor style with a steeply pitched gable, half timbering, and multi-pane glazed windows; the Rhodes is unique because it combines the Tudor Revival style with the Craftsman style portraying that both were popular in the early 20 century. These styles are revealed in the gabled roof forms, wide eave overhangs, false beams, and th stucco and timbering ornament. The Watters is unique to the other examples because it is progressive in its architectural style. While the Seville, Alcazar, and Ambassador Apartments (all built within five years of the Watters) were designed in various Revival styles, the Watters was designed in the more contemporary 20 Century Commercial style, th which resulted from the rapidly growing automobile industry. Before the automobile, factories were not carefully thought out or designed. The production of the automobile demanded a large space that required better organization. The advantages to creating a healthful and pleasing industrial environment were also realized. This new approach to factory design was exemplified in Albert Kahn’s architecture of automobile factories in Detroit. His designs were greatly influenced by the modernist Bauhaus movement that spread from Germany to the United States in the first quarter of the 20 century. Industrial design was streamlined and focused on rational order and restraint. This design of factories spread through urban environments and developed the 20 Century Commercial style, which described the commercial and apartment structures treated in the same manner as the factories of the time. The 20 Century Commercial style is apparent in the Watters by its basic form and simplified exterior treatment. The four-story building is enclosed by a parapetted flat roof and exterior walls faced with simple brickwork with stone accents. The Chicago School influence is revealed through ganged windows made up of a large central window flanked by smaller windows. Also characteristic of the Chicago School is the division of the Watters into the three parts of the classical column. Belt courses between the first and second floors and third and fourth floors separate the building into the base, shaft, and capital. Another significant feature unique to the Watters is the incorporation of a fourth block facing Rhodes Avenue, which creates additional courtyards. The Rhodes and Watters Apartments are significant examples of early 20 century architectural design because their styles are unique and express the great diversity in the design of the garden apartment building type. sc.akronlibrary.org/files/2011/11/07001296.pdf
Posted on: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 15:39:22 +0000
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