From research completed by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS): The Ferro Enamel Corporation, one of the two major sponsors for the . . . house, was formed in 1930 by a merger between the Ferro Enameling Company and the Ferro Enamel and Supply Co. The idea of using porcelain enamel for residential construction was introduced by Bob Weaver, president of the newly formed company. Shortly after the merger, Charles Bacon Rowley, architect, designed a four-person house with Ferro-Enamel shingles that the company erected in Cleveland, Ohio, in July 1932.31 Despite the innovative use of ferroenamel as a cladding material, the house was built using conventional wood construction. The first porcelain-enameled frameless steel house was completed . . . in South Euclid, Ohio . . . Like the Armco-Ferro house, this house was designed by Robert Smith, Jr., and was built by Insulated Steel Corporation; . .

In 1932, the American Rolling Company (Armco) . . . built a second porcelainenameled frameless steel house . . . using Robert Smith, Jr. as architect. The Ferro Enamel Corporation and the Insulated Steel Construction Company collaborated with Armco, thus setting the stage for the partnership that made the Century of Progress home possible.

Move to Beverly Shores, Indiana

In late winter 1935 the Century of Progress

Century of Progress

A Century of Progress International Exposition was the name of a World's Fair held in Chicago from 1933 to 1934 to celebrate the city's centennial. The theme of the fair was technological innovation...

 houses were moved from Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

 to Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

. Because the weight exceeded the ability of trucks to move the house, it was barged across Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...

. The houses were rolled off the barge on telephone polls onto a heavy timber crib built out into the lake. There were a series of three steps used to raise the house to the level of Lake Front Drive.

External

The open lawn around the house has grown in over the years since it was placed on the rise overlooking Lake Michigan. The landscape does not match that of the community at the World’s Fair site.

Internal

Armco-Ferro House is based on a traditional four-square. There are four rooms on the first floor and four rooms on the second. The four-square allows for cross ventilation in all weather and all seasons. The original garage was open for the 1933 fair season and enclosed for the 1934 fair season, becoming a study. A porch was added the second year

The house is a contributing property

Contributing property

In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...

 to the Century of Progress Architectural District

Century of Progress Architectural District

The Century of Progress Architectural District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The district is in eastern unit of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. The homes are also part of the Beverly Shores, Indiana, community...

.

Restoration efforts

Restoration efforts on the Wiebolt-Rostone House were started in 1997, with the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is a U.S. National Lakeshore located in northwest Indiana and managed by the National Park Service. It was authorized by Congress in 1966. The national lakeshore runs for nearly along the southern shore of Lake Michigan, from Gary, Indiana, on the west to Michigan...

 and the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana

Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana

Indiana Landmarks is America's largest private statewide historic preservation organization. Founded as the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana by Indianapolis pharmaceutical executive Eli Lilly in 1960, the organization is a private non-governmental organization with nearly 11,000 members...

 searching for potential leasees to restore the building.

See also

• Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
  Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
  Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is a U.S. National Lakeshore located in northwest Indiana and managed by the National Park Service. It was authorized by Congress in 1966. The national lakeshore runs for nearly along the southern shore of Lake Michigan, from Gary, Indiana, on the west to Michigan...
  
  
• List of Registered Historic Places in Indiana

External links

• Armco-Ferro House, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore