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Marenka House
Inventory No.:
PG:66-76
Date Listed:
9/8/2017
Location:
7300 Radcliffe Drive, College Park, Prince Georges County
Category:
Building
Period/Date of Construction:
1958
Architect/Builder:
unknown
Boundary Description:
The property, 1.11 acre, comprises the single suburban lot historically associated with the resource, and encompasses the dwelling, pigeon cote, swimming pool, and associated formal and informal landscaping.
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Description:
The Marenka House is a Modern Movement dwelling constructed in 1958 on the southwest corner of Radcliffe Drive and Edmonston Road in the Yarrow subdivision of College Park. The residential neighborhood consists of gently rolling hills and curvilinear streets. The brick house is elevated from Radcliffe Drive, sitting atop a slight rise. It is a single-story dwelling with an integrated garage. The house occupies a rectangular footprint with projecting gables on the north and south elevations and a service ell at the west elevation, and rests on a poured-concrete foundation. The stretcher-bond Roman brick dwelling is sheltered by an intersecting gable, built-up roof with deep, overhanging wood eaves. The undersides of the eaves are stuccoed. Vents, some of which appear to have been inserted after the initial construction, are present along the underside of the eaves. Copper downspouts help drain water from the roof. Two brick chimneys pierce the roof. One chimney is located at the intersection of the front and side gables and the second chimney is located on the east slope of the service ell and has two flues: one for the oil burner and one for the Hancock fireplace. In addition, two brick vents protrude from the south slope of the east end of the dwelling. The exterior of the Marenka House exhibits elements of organic architecture applied to the Modern Movement through large bays of windows and the incorporation of planters as both landscape features and building ornamentation. The outdoor living space reinforces connections to the dwelling’s environmental setting. Windows are single-light casement units in wood sash. Concrete sills define the openings. In general, window openings are set high on the walls, close to the eaves. Entrances are found on the north and south elevations of the principal block and the east and west sides of the service ell. Generally, single-leaf wood doors with aluminum screen doors are employed. A center beam defines the ridge of the projecting gable on both the north and south sides. The north (front) facade faces Radcliffe Drive, and is bisected by an off-center, projecting, front-gable, multi-light window. The roof’s overhanging eave shelters the walk leading to the front door and provides a recessed entrance. The overhanging eave features three skylights separated by rafters on the east slope. Wood posts extend from the eave to connect to a built-in brick planter. Three single-light wood casement windows form the west wall of the entrance bay, which adjoins the brick planter. The entrance contains a single-leaf wood door with metal screen door and a single-light sidelight. The property comprises the house, an in-ground swimming pool, and a pigeon cote. Both the principal dwelling and the pigeon cote exhibit elements of organic architecture applied to a Modern Movement building. Character-defining features of organic and Modern architecture include the building’s integration with the surrounding landscape and environment, the use of natural materials, the generous expanses of windows, an open floor plan, and the division of interior spaces into zones.
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Significance:
The Marenka House is historically significant for its architecture, as an example of a front-gabled Contemporary dwelling influenced by the organic school of Modern architecture. Constructed in northern Prince George’s County in 1958 during the period of rapid development of outer-ring Washington, DC suburbs that accompanied the construction of the Capital Beltway (I-495), the Marenka House illustrates the approach to Contemporary residential design influenced by the work of such architects as Frank Lloyd Wright and popularized by national periodicals such as House Beautiful. Organic architecture, with its emphasis on design rooted in the environment, building function, and natural materials, competed for influence in mainstream residential design with International Style modernism inspired by basic functional forms exemplified nationally by the work of such architects as Mies van der Rohe and Richard Neutra. Modern minimalism influenced by the International Style was adopted for residential design in the Washington, DC metropolitan area by such architects and architecture firms as Charles Goodman; Paul Kea; Charles Wagner; and Keyes, Smith, Lethbridge and Satterlee. Rectangular forms, flat roofs, exposed structure, and stripped ornamentation were common design characteristics of Modern minimalist domestic architecture. The firm of Paul H. Kea, David Shaw & Associates designed the Ernest Maier, Inc., building in Bladensburg. The Maier building is the only other documented building in the Prince George’s County Modern architecture inventory with elements of organic architecture. In contrast, the Markenka House embraces character-defining elements of organic architecture as applied to Contemporary residential design. The dwelling is integrated with the environment and the relationship between site and building are reinforced through thoughtful landscaping and visual and physical connections between interior and exterior living areas. Spatial hierarchies and interior circulation are defined clearly in the massign and plan and reinforced through built-in furnishings and interior finishes. While extensive archival research has not identified an architect associated with the dwelling, the quality of design and construction all-but guarantee the Marenka House was designed by a professional. The house and its site embody the holistic design approach promoted during the mid-20th century as a contemporary alternative to the Modernism influenced by the International Style, often criticized as austere. The organic and International approaches to the Modern style were applied to a small subset of residential buildings of the period. The Washington metropolitan region continued to be dominated by earlier traditional housing types; the Colonial Revival style and associated ornamentation were favored in Maryland and the Washington, DC area. The property derives additional historical significance for its association with the dramatic growth in residential development that occurred in suburban Prince George’s County during the 1950s.
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