A 1917 architectural contest challenged entrants to design a residence almost entirely made of Eastern White Pine, including the exterior siding, window frames and casings, doors, brackets and mouldings, for a family with an annual income of $5,000 (roughly $88,500 in today’s dollars.) Detailed in Volume III, Issue IV of the White Pine Historical Monographs preserved by NeLMA, the contest left the architectural style and layout of the house “to the ingenuity of the designer.”
The house was to cost $12,500 and be fit for a family “of taste and refinement.” The Monograph shows the plans for the top designs, with first prize awarded to a stately design with spacious gardens, beautiful views from each room, and “a perception of charm and imagination to an unusual degree.”
Some of the beautiful details that can be seen in these home plans include carefully wrought trim, cornices and columns, as well as interior elements like mantels, which were generally the centerpiece of any well-appointed home. As was befitting for the time, the homes included servants’ quarters as well as living space for family members and guests. See them all up close at the Monograph Library.
