Michigan City in Porter County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Century Of Progress Homes: Historic District
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
— National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —
Real estate developer Robert Bartlett purchased five demonstration houses from the 1933-34 Chicago World's fair. He moved four of the Century of Progress Homes by barge across Lake Michigan to Beverly Shores and one by truck. These houses demonstrated modern architectural design, experimental materials, and new technologies such as dishwashers and central air conditioning. Mr. Bartlett hoped that his five houses — the Cypress Log Cabin, House of Tomorrow, Armco-Ferro, Florida Tropical, and the Wiebolt-Rostone houses — would entice buyers to his new Beverly Shores resort community.
Today the Century of Progress Homes are part of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The park leases the houses to the Indiana Landmarks. Through this organization, private individuals are subleasing the houses and are restoring them to their original condition through private funding. Please respect the properties by not trespassing. The park and its partners provide an annual tour for the public. See our website for more details www.nps.gov/indu.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Parks & Recreational Areas.
Location. 41° 41.046′ N, 87° 0.067′ W. Marker is in Michigan City, Indiana, in Porter County. Marker is on West Lake Front Drive east of Dunbar Avenue, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 251 W Lake Front Dr, Michigan City IN 46360, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Century of Progress Homes (a few steps from this marker); The Armco-Ferro House: Mass Produced And Affordable (within shouting distance of this marker); The Florida House: Home, Cruise Ship, and More (within shouting distance of this marker); House Of Tomorrow: 'America's First Glass House' (within shouting distance of this marker); A Showcase For Cypress (within shouting distance of this marker); Made In Lafayette: An Experiment in Home Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Recipe for a Sand Dune (approx. 0.3 miles away); Whose Home Is It? (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Michigan City.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 1, 2020. It was originally submitted on December 1, 2020, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 301 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 1, 2020, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.