During the first three decades of the 20th century, while the Colonial
Revival houses were being built in both one and two story versions,
other styles were being represented in the Twin Cities. The Tudor
Revival, Prairie Style and the California Bungalow received widespread
acceptance in the 1920’s and 1930’s. One selection each of the Tudor
Revival and Prairie Style are illustrated herein; also depicted is an
example of a hybrid Queen Anne-California Bungalow House.
The Tudor Revival style, popular in the United States from 1890 to 1940,
received only nominal acceptance in North Louisiana. Characteristics
included a simple box plan with extensions, facade dominated by two or
more prominent cross gables and windows in multiple groupings with
multipane glazing. Also used were massive chimneys with chimney pots.
The Masur Museum on South Grand Street in Monroe was constructed 1929 by
Elmer Slagle, Sr. Depicted in figure 50 are the characteristics of the
Tudor Revival described above. This stone veneer house has a mezzanine
porch in the rear overlooking a formal garden and the Ouachita River.
[Illustration: _Fig. 50. The 1929 Slagle house, now Masur Museum
(Bldg. 152)._]
A Monroe landmark is the 1926 G. B. Cooley house also on South Grand
Street. See figure 51. Designed by the architect Walter Burley Griffin,
an associate of Frank Lloyd Wright, the plan was laid out to resemble
the decks of a steamboat. Mr. Cooley, the owner, was a steamboat captain
who plied the Ouachita for many years. The Prairie Style house has 100
windows which may be opened to take advantage of summer breezes.
[Illustration: _Fig. 51. Cooley house designed in the Prairie Style
(Bldg. 153)._]
An interesting Trenton Street house in West Monroe, figure 52,
represents a mingling of stylistic detailing. The gable has wood
shingles similar to those used in the Queen Anne styles, and the small
patterned window panes of that period are reused in a new form. But the
exposed rafter ends and expansive overhangs are characteristics of the
California Bungalow style.
[Illustration: _Fig. 52. On Trenton Street, West Monroe, a gable
detail. (Bldg. 154)._]
Thus, Monroe and West Monroe contain a variety of residential stylistic
expressions as evidenced in the extant houses.