By Nancy Burgess
May 10 through May 16, 1998, is Preservation Week. The theme for this year's celebration is "Preservation Begins at Home." The theme aims to emphasize the importance of saving and enhancing the places where we live, not just the buildings, but the communities that surround them.
The president of the National Trust, Richard Moe, writes that the theme "encourages us to recognize the beauty, variety and the significance of the older residential buildings and neighborhoods that shape and enrich our lives." The theme reminds us that historic preservation is a responsibility of all of us and that all of us must take an active role in the historic preservation decisions that impact our homes, neighborhoods and communities.
In Prescott, four National Register Historic Districts exist, which are primarily residential. They include the East Prescott Historic District, the West Prescott Historic District, the Pine Crest Historic District and the Fleury's Addition Historic District. Each district is marked by blue and white signs designating the name of the district. Though many historic architectural styles are represented within these districts, this year the "Architreasures" hunt will focus on the Bungalow Style.
What is a 'Bungalow?' The dictionary describes it as "a dwelling of a type first developed in India, usually one story, with low sweeping lines, and a wide verandah." Today, the American Bungalow in Prescott is usually the Arts and Crafts Bungalow, which developed in the early 20th century and has never gone out of style.
Employing natural and local materials such as brick, stone, and wood, emphasis was made on their natural inherent qualities. The Arts and Crafts Bungalow presents plain, solid, simple style with an emphasis on craftsmanship. The houses tend to be small, one or two stories, with efficient use of space, and are often on small lots and tucked harmoniously into the landscape. Roofs are generally low and broad with a gable or sometimes a hip with a small porch and exposed rafters. The porch roof is usually supported by large square or tapered posts, often with stone or brick bases. Dormers at the front and rear are common. Exterior siding may be clapboard, shingles or stucco. Windows usually are set in groups and are broad, allowing lots of light into the interior. Stained glass is sometimes a decorative element.
Many Arts and Crafts Bungalows exist in the four Prescott residential National Register Districts listed above. Note: Photos of the homes included in the 1998, newspaper article for public voting consideration in the contest along with contest rules, prizes and decisions of the judges are not available to post on this web page.
Nancy Burgess is the City of Prescott's Preservation Officer.
Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number: (bure4087p). Reuse only by permission.
Bungalows on South Mount Vernon Street in the 1930s.