Craftman Style Houses Then & Now

Craftman style homes have always been popular and we plan to build one in Hubbard Woods on a magnificent half acre. The Craftsman style is known for porches, posts are square and tapered. The roof has a low pitch and the rafters are exposed or finished with a decorative bracket. Exteriors are an artful mix of shingles, siding and stone. Names associated with the Craftsman are Stickley and Wright.

photo courtesy of The Winnetka Historical Society
Hubbard Woods lost a grand old Craftsman home a decade ago. 993 Old Green Bay was sited on the Winnetka Ravine. I found some photos in the collection of The Winnetka Historical Society and was struck by one single feature. Ladders hung from the eaves on the rear porches to evacuate those whose exit might be blocked in the case of fire.
Today's new homes will look the same, yet the differences in the new siding and shingles is profound. A premier brand that is widely used by North Shore home builders is known as Hardie Board. It is available in every siding and shingle profile and is custom painted in the factory. The boards are not made of cedar or redwood anymore. These products are a cement based material with performance characteristcs superior to traditional boards and shingles.

Hardie Board and similar products are fire-proof. The house on Old Green Bay Rd might have burned quickly in the dry and windy setting of a ravine, but a new home will achieve the same classic style and won't need the fire ladders hung from the eaves. It is but one feature that reflects the architect's maxim that form follows function, and how improved construction techniques make owning a new home a superior value.