The Anchorage is an early Ogden Dunes home built in the 1930's in a European Cottage style designed by "Pete" Nicholson on Ski Hill Road.  The cement block exterior is typical as is the living area on the upper floor with large glass windows and great views.  The name Ski Hill Road comes from the Ogden Dunes Ski Jump billed in 1927 as the highest in the United States and site of many international competitions.  It was designed and built by a Chicago Ski Club and was the site of many international competitions.  It closed in 1932 mostly as a result of the depression and economic challenges.  It was dismantled in 1935.

Designed originally by the Chicago George F. Keck firm and expanded. Set right on the lake with a view of the Chicago skyline.

The side of the Samuel Reck house with the Lake Michigan view.

Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Armstrong House in 1939 for advertising executive Andrew Armstrong and wife Florence who moved from New York to Ogden Dunes.  The original owners sold the home in 1942.  In 1958 the current owners (and our tour guide) bought the house, and in the late 1960's with the advice of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and the work of Wright apprentice Jack Howe, the home was beautifully restored and expanded.   

The current owner lead us up the steps from the outside into the main living area which is all art,  beautifully maintained wood paneling and beamed ceiling, with an embracing fireplace, interesting high ribbon windows and sharp angles.  The two-story home fits beautifully on the elevated site and has interlocking angles of 30,60, and 90 degrees. Every vantage point is stunning! 

What interested us is that the home was constructed by master FLW builder Harold Turner, a Danish-born cabinet maker who built several Wright Usonian homes from California to the east coast, and these included the Goetsh-Winkler house in Okemos and the Affleck house in Bloomfield Township in Michigan.   After leaving Wright's employ, Turner designed and built the Thornapple River House southeast of Grand Rapids in the Usonian style using many of the same materials and techniques, including cyprus wood, red polished concrete floors and radiant heating, piano hinged doors and a brick wall fireplace.  Link here to read WMM's story about the house which recently sold (http://westmichiganmodern.com/harold-turner-on-the-thornapple-river/).  

The 1941 James and Dorothy Buell House is where the first meeting of 21 Ogden Dunes women launched the “Save the Dunes” campaign. Buell enlisted the help of Senator Paul Douglas of Illinois in a battle with the large steel companies and achieved the establishment of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, authorized by Congress in 1966. 

The Clarke House is a multi-level ranch style home built into the hill.  One standout feature is the unusual open staircase with alternating treads.  The awesome rooftop deck has stunning views of the Ogden Dunes wooded terrain and the Chicago skyline on the Lake Michigan side.  Now used for storage, the large bomb shelter in the lower level is a cold war relic. 

Something to note here is that when the area was first developed there were few trees and mostly sand.

1948 Solomon Enclave known as “The Triplets” in Beverly Shores, Indiana National Dunes Lakeshore, designed by Louis Solomon, who was a prolific Chicago architect known for large apartment buildings. The Enclave was designed to hold three families in side-by-side cottages. 

1950’s cottage by Chicago architect Gertrude Kerbis.  It has a loft master bedroom with floor to ceiling glass wall and stunning lake views. Gertrude Kerbis studied with Walter Gropius, Mies van de Rohe and worked briefly for Bertrand Goldberg and Carl Koch and received recognition for her design of the dining hall at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Kerbis was a pioneer in working to improve the status of women architectshttp://www.artic.edu/research/gertrude-kerbis-b-1926 .

Perched across the road from Lake Michigan, the sprawling multi-level Ruzic Home was designed by Edward Masilius, who built many stunning homes in the area.  A sunken living room and large fireplace complete the rustic modern look.  From the Lake Michigan side access is via a set of steps up from the road, then a picturesque dune bridge designed by the Ruzics and yet another set of steps leading to a massive stone chimney.  The Ruzics greeted us at the impressive home which indoor pool, balconies and incredible views from every angle.  A little bonus for me was the photo display of the other area modern homes designed by Edward Masiulis.  

The bridge designed by the Ruzic's to cross the dunes between the path from the road, the separate office building and the main house.