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 —

Century Of Progress Homes Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Doda, June 14, 2019

1. Century Of Progress Homes Marker

Inscription.
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

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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. It 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.

Regionally, this marker is in Northwest Indiana,

specifically on the Indiana Dunes and Lake Michigan Shore,

and in the Calumet Region.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Great Lakes,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Century of Progress Homes (a few steps

Photographed by Craig Doda, June 14, 2019

2. Century Of Progress Homes Marker

from this marker); The Florida House: Home, Cruise Ship, and More (a few steps from this marker); The Armco-Ferro House: Mass Produced And Affordable (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); Stephen Tyng Mather (approx. 0.3 miles away); Hostas on a Grand Scale (approx. 1.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Michigan City.

Other markers no longer nearby. Recipe for a Sand Dune (was approx. 0.3 miles away but has been confirmed missing); Whose Home Is It? (was approx. 0.3 miles away but has been confirmed missing); Is This an Ocean or a Lake? (was approx. 0.3 miles away but has been confirmed missing).

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 705 times since then and 30 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.