Latest Structures Page 5

Verona Apartments, Detroit Michigan

This Detroit Complex Originally had 16 Suites for Upper Class Residents

The Verona Apartments building is the work of prominent Detroit architects, William G. Malcolmson and William E. Higginbotham. Their partnership began in 1890 and is known for two Romanesque Revival churches located within the University-Cultural Center. They also built schools for the Detroit Public School system, including Central High School (now Old Main), which was completed in 1896, the same year, and only a few blocks away from the Verona. The Verona is an early example of a high-rise apartment building. The Romanesque character to the Verona, the Sullivanesque decoration, and the rounded embayments on the front facade suggest the influence of the Chicago School of architecture, the breeding ground in the late 19^th century of the development of well-lighted, spacious,

The Cliffs House at Fairmount Park, Philadelphia Pennsylvania

Built in the 1750s by Joshua Fisher, the Cliffs stayed in the Fisher family until 1868, when the Fairmount Park Commission acquired it. The Fishers, one of Philadelphia's leading Quaker families, produced lawyers, merchants, industrialists, and historians. Their diaries, especially those of Sydney George Fisher and Deborah Fisher Wharton, remain key sources for studying 19th-century Philadelphia. The property also has another notable connection: Benjamin Franklin's daughter, Sarah Franklin Bache, lived there as a tenant in 1789. Architecturally, the Cliffs is a fine example of Georgian design, marked by balanced proportions and symmetry. It reflects both the 18th-century Philadelphians' taste for country living and the idea that a country house didn't have to be a grand estate to meet the needs of

R.A. Long House - Corinthian Hall, Kansas City Missouri

Former Gilded Age Mansion in Kansas City is now a Museum

The R. A. Long residence is the most imposing mansion in the Gladstone Boulevard neighborhood, noted for its architectural significance. With its abundance of classicistic details (Gibbs surrounds, cartouches, festoons, mascarons, cresting, etc.), fine materials (bronze, marble, stone, copper), and superior craftsmanship, it stands as perhaps the best example of Beaux-Arts classicism in Kansas City domestic architecture. The surrounding service buildings and structures match the residence in style, materials, and workmanship, creating a unified ensemble. Harmony is achieved through shared red-tile roofs, Bedford limestone facades, and repeated design motifs. The grounds follow the biaxial symmetry typical of a Beaux-Arts site plan. The carriage house and stable align with the axis of the great hall, while the greenhouse and conservatory flank the

Rockford Elk's Lodge #64, Rockford Illinois

Vacant Elk's Club Building in Rockford IL at Risk of Demolition

A rare and fine local example of early twentieth-century eclectic architecture, the Rockford Elk's Lodge in Rockford, Illinois, was built in 1912. Lawrence Buck, the building's architect, was instructed to design a building with an exterior finish similar to that of the American Insurance Company across the street. The Elk's building committee envisioned a Beaux Arts, classical-style building adorned with considerable terra cotta. However, when the bids for the original design came in too high, the committee went back to the architect and asked him to simplify the plan. The new plan eliminated the terra cotta cornice and many of the trimmings. The revised design retained many of the classical details, but had a more modern look. Buck's commissions were strongly

John Wanamaker Store, Philadelphia Pennsylvania

This Was the Largest Department Store in the World, and Closed in 2025

The Wanamaker's department store chain was acquired by The May Department Stores Company in 1994, and converted to the May-owned Hecht's, Strawbridge's, and Lord & Taylor between 1995 and 2006. May itself was acquired by Federated Department Stores in 2005, and converted to the Federated-owned Macy's in 2006. Macy's closed the store without replacement in 2025. Although the long-popular notion that John Wanamaker established the Nation's first department store has been dispelled, most business historians agree with author John William Ferry (A History of the Department Store) that in all the records of merchandising, Wanamaker's name will endure as one of the greatest pioneers in … [its] creation. At the turn of the century his name was synonymous with retailing, says