buildings artwork logo



Home

Images of Historic Indiana

Endangered Buildings of NW Indiana

10 Ways You can Help

Editorials

Our Bookstore


Purchasing items through this link helps pay our hosting fees




Historic Homes and Apartments of
Valparaiso, Indiana


 A brick home of the Italianate or Italian Villa style of architecture, Valparaiso Indiana

A brick home of the Italianate or Italian Villa style of architecture. This style is characterized by low-pitched, heavily bracketed roofs, asymmetrical informal plan, square towers, and often rounded, arched windows. All of these elements can be seen in this example.

A home of the Queen Anne style of architecture, Valparaiso Indiana
A home of the Queen Anne style of architecture. This was an eclectic style of architecture of the 1870s and 1880s named after Queen Anne but actually based on country-house and cottage Elizabethan architecture. It is characterized by a blending of Tudor gothic, English Renaissance and, in the U.S., Colonial elements.

Queen Anne-style home, Valparaiso Indiana Valparaiso Indiana
This turreted Queen Anne-style home is now a shop.

Historic house, Valparaiso Indiana

A spacious corner home.
102 Washington


Interesting bungalow-style house.

Note the matching garage.

106 Washington

montyjoelnospam@yahoo.com writes:

Please forgive me for taking issue with your identification of the home at 106 Washington in Valparaiso, as being of the bungalow style. I feel it more strongly represents the Arts & Crafts, or Craftsman style. The low sloping roof and broad front porch along with the simple roof brackets are strong elements of this style. This style being so popular in the Midwest, I was very enthused to see it represented in your website, as it is often overlooked. Thank you for making all of these wonderful images available to all.


Book cover home research history house Many people who have acquired older homes over the past decade have often become intrigued by questions about its origins, style, materials, past owners and events. In this comprehensive book, the reader is guided through the fun of finding the clues to his home's history.

 historic apartment building, Valparaiso Indiana

Eldorado Apartments
254 West Lincolnway
A well-maintained historic apartment building in downtown Valparaiso. According to the current owner, "the property is just as lovely inside as it is on the outside." Some apartments are available for rent as of this writing (May 18, 2002).



Pioneer Apartments
Corner of Franklin and Chicago Streets
Completed in 1908 by Perry Sisson, a former mayor of Valparaiso.

(A hard building to get a good photograph of, we might note)

Click the above photo for a picture from a postcard of 1912.

This building's former owner assures me that the building has been well-kept (although the cornice was removed some years ago) and the interior looks much the same today as it did when built.

The Pioneer Apartments were built at the corner of Franklin and Chicago Streets in Valparaiso in 1908 by Perry Sisson. This is one of the largest historical properties in the community. Since that time it has only changed owners 3 times.

At one time, the Inter-Urban Railroad passed right in front of the building bringing people from Gary to Valparaiso. Over the years, more than 1000 people have called the Pioneer home. It's classic architecture features spacious rooms, beautiful oak doors and trim, and 9 foot tall ceilings.

It was built in a unique process using "green" bricks. The bricks were poured into molds right on the property and then set into place "green," which means before the concrete was completely dried. This allowed the bricks to harden in place, forming a stronger bond than other conventional methods of construction.

A picture postcard, submitted by Mr. & Mrs. Floyd Tight of Valparaiso, which shows what the building looked like 90 years ago. The card was dated 1912.

The former owners of the building write:

"The apartments are still very nice inside as well. These are "Chicago-style" apartments, most with large rooms, 9-foot ceilings, wide oak base and some built-in china cabinets. A few even have claw foot tubs.

My brother and I bought the building on July 1, 2001. If you know anyone looking for an apartment, we have a few vacancies. Please send them to us @ (219) 405-3695."

The former owners of this building have also owned the Eldorado (shown above) and the Saran, 3 North Napoleon, and seem to be committed to preservation and historically-accurate maintenance of the buildings. They inform me that they are currently restoring a building that was orginally built in 1900. Kudos to them!

They have recently sold the Pioneer apartments and write that the new owners "share our interest in preserving the property and have invested several hundred thousand dollars in rennovations. You really should stop by and take a look at it. They deserve full credit for their efforts and have won an award locally for best rennovation in Valparaiso. "



Restoring A House in the City Twenty-one real-life renovations are featured in this essential resource—from stately town houses to brownstone fixer-uppers—to give the true experience of creating an urban oasis on any street. Whether hunting for rare chandeliers, salvaging floorboards for new tabletops, or removing walls to let more light in, all the nuts and bolts of restoration are here. (Click Image)


Pioneer Apartments
Corner of Franklin and Chicago Streets
Entrance detail

Valparaiso apartment building, Valparaiso Indiana
This Valparaiso apartment building boasts an unusual design (the shingled canopy at the top appears to be an alteration).

 


205 Michigan

Queen Anne-style home, Valparaiso Indiana
Another spacious Queen Anne-style home. Large chimneys like this were a common feature of the Queen Anne style of architecture. This home now houses a business.


 

Beautiful Second Empire style home.
206 Michigan

All Above Photos by Timothy Arends

Old House Woodwork Restoration Restore Doors Windows Walls, Stairs, and Decorative Trim Indiana Recommended book for historic homeowners and refurbishers:

Old House Woodwork Restoration: How to Restore Doors, Windows, Walls, Stairs, and Decorative Trim to Their Original Beauty (Click Image)



Before and After: Success story: photos submitted to this site by former owners of the Pioneer Apartments (shown above) of a house which has been brought much closer to its appearance as originally built.

355 S Garfield St

Before rennovation

After rennovation
 

[ Home | Images of Indiana Architecture | Endangered | Editorials | Site Store ]
[10 Simple ways you can help promote Historic Preservation! ]

Purchasing items through this link helps pay our hosting fees