Our Double Bungalow

My favorite bungalow is, of course, my own:

 Located at the corner of Vine and Glenwood is a 1915 double bungalow.  The architect was Harry Reiger who did several buildings in Springfield. This style of house is sometimes called a duplex but when it was built it was designed for two related families. There are openings on each floor to connect the families but these can also be closed for privacy.  The unusual design of this home was described in the Illinois State Register on Wednesday July 21, 1915.

The finished design turned out pretty much as described except for the pannelled wainscoting in the dining room which seems to have been cut from the budget.  Here is the blueprint for one side: (to view this in a larger window, just click on the image)

The land our bungalow is built on had been owned by John Williams. Mr Williams owned the area bordered by West Grand Avenue, Williams Street, Walnut Street and South Grand Avenue from 1851 until his death on November 8, 1894.  The Williams'estate was divided among the couple's 5 children and the immediate land around our lots had a new owner, Louisa Black. Upon the death of Louisa Black, the area was subdivided and lots were sold. On May 27, 1915 Pauline Heimberger purchased two lots for the building of her double bungalow. When the homes were completed, Mrs. Heimberger sold half of the bungalow to Margaret B. Keil, her step-daughter.

The architect was Harry Jasper Reiger, a 1912 graduate of the University of Illinois. The bungalow was an early commission in his career, prior to his military service in World War I.  Mr. Reiger designed several houses in the Springfield-Leland Grove area. Mr. Reiger also designed commercial buildings such as the Bisch and Son Funeral Home. In 2007, another of his buildings, the Jennings Ford Automobile Dealership was placed on the National Historic Register due to the "property being associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history" according to the National Register application.  Harry Reiger designed an addition to the Laurel Methodist Church which is located at the corner of Walnut and West South Grand Avenue.

The builder of the house, Pauline Heimberger, operated a fancy grocery store at the corner of First and Jefferson". That building was recently torn down.