May 22, 1992
Caroline Millward House - National Register of Historic Places
Statement of Significance: The Millward House meets Criterion C for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. It is architecturally significant as a particularly fin e example of a Foursquare with Prairie School characteristics. The house has excellent integrity. The Millward House clearly follows the definition of a Foursquare in massing and plan. Although the facade of the house is not bilaterally symmetrical, it conveys an overall impression of Bal since and symmetry. I t also expresses, with its use of stucco, wide front pier s and horizontal emphasis, the feeling of massiveness so commonly found in what is sometimes called the "American" Foursquare. This feeling very likely satisfied the same need for stability and solidity that was expressed in other homes by associating their design with American Colonia l roots. The floorplan of the Millward House, with four major spaces linked by large openings is also typica l of the Foursquare. In both its broad horizontality and its detailing, the Millward House reflect s the characteristic s of Prairie School architecture. From the front, the house is wider than it is tall. The massive porch pier s framing a wide horizontal opening reinforce s the horizontality of the general rectangular shape of the house. The second-floor windows, which extend from a string course a t the sill line t o a wood molding a t the cornice line, and the rectangular stucco panels between them read as a wide horizontal band. All cornice s has a deep overhang. There is no applied exterior ornamentation. Visual interest is supplied by the projecting front porch and by wood banding, which emphasizes the rectangular geometry of the building. Horizontality and geometric detailing, typica l Prairie School features, are also emphasized on the home's interior. Rooms are large and appear broad, as well. Wide ceiling moldings circumscribe the first-floor rooms, with a second band performing the same function in the dining room. The hall windows are very wide and appear to be even wider because of their transoms; the dining room windows linking built-in bookshelves are set in a horizontal band. Openings between the rooms are extremely broad so that the major first floor living spaces easily flow int o one another. Geometric patterns are everywhere. Crisply-define d rectangle s are found throughout the house--in the fireplace, the door openings, the window leading, the dining room ceiling panels and light fixtures, even in the detailing of the balustrade. The overall simplification of form found in this house reflects the tendency toward simplification and utilitarianism m earl y 20th Century homes express. There are no ornamented moldings, and even the egg and dart motif on t h e fireplace is so small it appears like a linear band. Built-in s are used extensively i n the living room, where book cases line the wall across from the fireplace, and in the dining room, where chin a cabinet s linked by a built-in bench line the west wall and a breakfront flus h with the wall surface create s a paneled effect so typica l of Prairie style houses. There is no documentation on the architect for the house, but various feature s resembles those found in homes designed by E.E. Roberts, who live d and worked in Oak Park in the earl y 1900's, During this time he built many two-story nearly-symmetrical stucco houses. His handling of certain motifs, such the broad front porch, hi p roof and centra l dormer, were often repeated. Of the many heavy, box-like houses with a wide front porch across the front Roberts designed, the Lennox House, built in 1908 a t 220 South Harvey, Oak Park, bears the closes t resemblance to the Milward House. Its front dormer is practically identical. There is no better example in Maywood of a Foursquare house with Prairie School detailing. With an unaltered plan and ornamentation intact, its excellent integrity and condition clearly reflect the architect' s original design intent. Photo by: Susan Benjamin
Caroline Millward House - National Register of Historic Places
Statement of Significance: The Millward House meets Criterion C for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. It is architecturally significant as a particularly fin e example of a Foursquare with Prairie School characteristics. The house has excellent integrity. The Millward House clearly follows the definition of a Foursquare in massing and plan. Although the facade of the house is not bilaterally symmetrical, it conveys an overall impression of Bal since and symmetry. I t also expresses, with its use of stucco, wide front pier s and horizontal emphasis, the feeling of massiveness so commonly found in what is sometimes called the "American" Foursquare. This feeling very likely satisfied the same need for stability and solidity that was expressed in other homes by associating their design with American Colonia l roots. The floorplan of the Millward House, with four major spaces linked by large openings is also typica l of the Foursquare. In both its broad horizontality and its detailing, the Millward House reflect s the characteristic s of Prairie School architecture. From the front, the house is wider than it is tall. The massive porch pier s framing a wide horizontal opening reinforce s the horizontality of the general rectangular shape of the house. The second-floor windows, which extend from a string course a t the sill line t o a wood molding a t the cornice line, and the rectangular stucco panels between them read as a wide horizontal band. All cornice s has a deep overhang. There is no applied exterior ornamentation. Visual interest is supplied by the projecting front porch and by wood banding, which emphasizes the rectangular geometry of the building. Horizontality and geometric detailing, typica l Prairie School features, are also emphasized on the home's interior. Rooms are large and appear broad, as well. Wide ceiling moldings circumscribe the first-floor rooms, with a second band performing the same function in the dining room. The hall windows are very wide and appear to be even wider because of their transoms; the dining room windows linking built-in bookshelves are set in a horizontal band. Openings between the rooms are extremely broad so that the major first floor living spaces easily flow int o one another. Geometric patterns are everywhere. Crisply-define d rectangle s are found throughout the house--in the fireplace, the door openings, the window leading, the dining room ceiling panels and light fixtures, even in the detailing of the balustrade. The overall simplification of form found in this house reflects the tendency toward simplification and utilitarianism m earl y 20th Century homes express. There are no ornamented moldings, and even the egg and dart motif on t h e fireplace is so small it appears like a linear band. Built-in s are used extensively i n the living room, where book cases line the wall across from the fireplace, and in the dining room, where chin a cabinet s linked by a built-in bench line the west wall and a breakfront flus h with the wall surface create s a paneled effect so typica l of Prairie style houses. There is no documentation on the architect for the house, but various feature s resembles those found in homes designed by E.E. Roberts, who live d and worked in Oak Park in the earl y 1900's, During this time he built many two-story nearly-symmetrical stucco houses. His handling of certain motifs, such the broad front porch, hi p roof and centra l dormer, were often repeated. Of the many heavy, box-like houses with a wide front porch across the front Roberts designed, the Lennox House, built in 1908 a t 220 South Harvey, Oak Park, bears the closes t resemblance to the Milward House. Its front dormer is practically identical. There is no better example in Maywood of a Foursquare house with Prairie School detailing. With an unaltered plan and ornamentation intact, its excellent integrity and condition clearly reflect the architect' s original design intent. Photo by: Susan Benjamin
May 22, 1992
Posted Date
Apr 05, 2022
Historical Record Date
May 22, 1992
Source Name
United States Department of Interior - National Park Service
