A Mystery in Brazil
By Nathan Hawkins
Meridian Street, Brazil, Ind. Google imagery
Head east from Terre Haute down the old National Road, and you’ll soon arrive in Brazil, IN. Though it’s easy to overlook the small city of 8,000, Brazil boasts an impressive collection of historic homes, many of which are located in the Meridian-Forest Historic District. This district encompasses the neighborhood to the north of the downtown area.
But what does a historic district in Brazil have to do with Farrington’s Grove? Below I explore a surprising connection.
A springtime visit to the Meridian-Forest Historic District in Brazil turned up some spectacular homes. Among the most impressive examples was 614 Meridian St., pictured below. This red-brick Romanesque showstopper was constructed in the 1890s for George Zeller, a pioneer of Brazil’s coal industry.
Zeller House, Brazil, Ind.
I did a double take when I first saw the Zeller house. It’s an attention-grabber, for sure, but I was captivated for a very particular reason— the Zeller house is shockingly reminiscent of a familiar landmark from back in Farrington’s Grove…
Miller-Caplow House (1894), Terre Haute, Ind.
At first glance, the Zeller house seemed to be a near twin of FGHD’s Miller-Caplow House (825 S. 7th St.). The two houses share several basic design elements: octagonal towers on the left side, slouching attic dormers, and asymmetrical front porches. There are certainly differences in ornamentation that make each house distinct, but I couldn’t shake off the initial shock I felt at the high degree of similarity. This had to be more than just a coincidence. And the mystery deepened once I saw 521 Meridian across the street:
521 Meridian St., Brazil, Ind.
Like the Zeller house, 521 Meridian immediately reminded me of a landmark in FGHD: 1139 S. Center Street. Built in 1906, 1139 S. Center was originally home to businessman George Foulkes:
1139 S. Center St., Terre Haute, Ind.
Now, you might be struggling to find obvious similarities between 521 Meridian and 1139 S. Center… other than doors, windows, and a roof, perhaps.
So what am I getting at here? Consider the images below. The photo on the right shows 1139 S. Center St. as it looked in 1907, when newly built.
Now the similarities are more obvious! You can’t miss those colossal tiered porches, each hoisting a massive central attic dormer. The proportions and detailing of the columns and modillions are nearly identical for each house. So, why do they look so different today? At some point, 1106 S. Center was extensively renovated and lost its most elaborate exterior features for a simpler look. Given the quality of the remodel, this was probably not too long after initial construction. Perhaps the owner wanted something a little less ostentatious? As far as I know, the motivations are lost to history.
So What’s the Deal?
The big question, of course, is why do these houses look so alike? Was this just a colossal coincidence, or a real case of long-lost siblings? Intent on finding answers, I headed to the Vigo County Public Library for research.
“Pattern book” designs (which you can read about here) presented one possibility. However, this explanation seemed unlikely to me—why would the wealthy businessmen who built these homes have settled for a stock design out of a catalog?
In addition, pattern book houses tend to be clear copies, a label that doesn’t quite apply to the pairs discussed above. Each house exhibits unique characteristics: the Zeller house is built of brick, while the Miller-Caplow house is wood frame; 521 Meridian has a hipped roof, while 1106 S. Center has a gable roof. These variations are minor, but they do suggest that the houses were designed as distinct individuals.
My hunch was that the houses in each pair held an architect in common. This could explain the strange blend of similarities and unique features: perhaps this architect took inspiration from previous work when creating new designs, reusing features that were well-received while still leaving room for experimentation.
The historical record turned up a partial clue—as it turned out, the two houses in Farrington’s Grove were designed by the same man: Terre Haute architect W. Homer Floyd. Floyd was one of the most prominent Terre Haute architects at the turn of the last century (along with the Vrydaghs). Floyd churned out many key landmarks of Terre Haute’s past, like the Root & Hertz department stores, the Tribune Building, and ISU’s Old Main.
So can W. Homer Floyd also be credited with the homes in Brazil? Unfortunately, here the trail ran cold. Period newspapers, my primary resource, did not identify the architect for either the Zeller house or 521 Meridian. However, I did find a precedent for a Terre Haute firm designing another historic house in Brazil, so maybe a connection remains to be found.
Regardless, this project provided a delightful excuse to do some historical investigating! If anyone has additional insight, I encourage you to explore further or comment below. And if you have a free afternoon, head over to Brazil and explore the city’s historic neighborhoods. It will be well worth the visit.
Sources
Oakey, Charles Cochran. Greater Terre Haute and Vigo County: Closing the First Century's History of City and County, Showing the Growth of Their People, Industries and Wealth, Volume 2. Terre Haute: Lewis Publishing Co., 1908. link
National Park Service. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Meridian-Forest Historic District. 1997. link