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A. B. C. Dodd Residence
Purcell, Feick and Elmslie
Charles City, Iowa 1910
Text by William Gray Purcell
Parabiographies entry, Volume for 1910
Working drawings: July 29, 1910
Draughting: Marian [sic] A. Parker, W.G.P.This is another milestone along the Jones-McCosker-Goetzenberger trail, with a decidedly lighter and freeer [sic] quality, the details influenced by Mr. Elmslie, who was in and out of the office when Miss Parker and I were working it up. The house was built for a relative of mine, and was greatly enjoyed and kept in perfect housekeeping trim. She was still living in it in 1938.
Miss Parker certainly laid herself out to do a fine piece of work on this building. It may be just a little precious in spots, but it hangs together beautifully after thirty years, and barring a little tightness at the main entrance and perhaps a slight over-projection of the eaves, the house is about the expression, aesthetically, that one would give to an organism of that kind today.
All the mechanical and the plan relations were thoughtfully and carefully adjusted and the decorative integrity of the parts flowed smoothly and quietly. We had been learning a lot about construction, such as window and door details, and always trying to go along whatever aspects of the construction industry that showed any signs of dropping meaningless habits and going our way toward a more candid and useful world of forms.
Collection: William Gray Purcell Papers, Northwest Architectural Archives, University of Minnesota [AR:B4d1.4]
research courtesy mark hammons