The "Jewel"
"Jewel" is described as having "many unusual features." This 1,399 sq. ft. "four room Colonial home," reminds us that the 1950s modern Cape Cod is really of Colonial origin.
Why is this a Cape Cod style?
- Recangular shape
- Steep pitch to roof
- Side gables
- Shutters, although on the front door and not on the windows
- Center hall floor plan
What are the modern modifications?
- Front door placed slightly off-center, compared with a more traditional design such as the "Cranberry"
- Larger, more modern picture window, with glass block trim
- A variety of window styles, including large panes and small, and an oval window with pie-shaped panes
- Chimney and fireplace on an exterior wall of a living area that "extends from the front to the rear"
- Siding that includes stone, shingles, and vertical panels
- Front terrace
- Roof overhang, more in style with bungalow architecture
- Rear stairway
- Rear dormer, assumed but not depicted
Marketing this House Plan:
The modern family wanted room to expand. Designers enticed new home buyers with the dream that "two bedrooms and a bath may be added later on the second floor." Modern building materials, such as glass block trim, appealed to the new generation, while traditional Cape Cod design kept a tie with the past. The idea of a "den" living area, with "full book shelves at either side of the natural fireplace," understated prosperity.
See Cape Cods in Suburbia for an introduction to these mid-century home designs.
