Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Wilkinson House interiors


Muncie's Wilkinson House, featured in Indiana Landmarks' book 99 Historic Homes of Indiana, is currently experiencing foreclosure and an upcoming sheriff's sale, but we're looking back at grander times in the house's history. These photographs were taken in 1936 for the architect Leslie Ayres shortly after the house was built and decorated. As you can see, little expense was spared in creating a fashionable home for its inhabitants, Theodore and Edna Wilkinson and their daughter, Helen.

From the custom three-panel circular mirror built-in vanity to the Art Deco piano, this house is a marvelous example of blending high style design and modern materials in the 1930s. The house boasts a meandering key pattern on the switchback staircase and throughout, telephone nook, geometric chrome chandelier, custom bas-relief plasterwork, and custom woodwork in the study, among other interesting features.






Images: Wilkinson house photographs, 1936. (G-93.004) General Collection, Drawings + Documents Archive, Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries.

2 comments:

  1. Amazing home. We were up there yesterday peeking in the windows. Do you have information about price, etc? I've always loved this house & hated seeing it in its present condition.

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  2. The home was bought by PNC bank at the sherriff's sale earlier this month. For price, contact PNC or perhaps a realtor can arrange a tour as well as more information. But I think it's safe to say you can buy an amazing home at an incredible price. If you buy it, be sure to stop by the Archives to see our set of original architectural blueprints.

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