Restoration work begins on House of Tomorrow in Beverly Shores

Shannon Halligan
·2 min read
2

BEVERLY SHORES, Ind. — The future looks bright for the House of Tomorrow.

America’s first glass house is finally getting a much-needed facelift, thanks in large part to federal funding.

“Welcome all to the House of Tomorrow and to this day, which I was beginning to doubt that I would see in my lifetime,” Marsh Davis, president of Indiana Landmarks said.

Davis gave this last tour of the historic structure before restoration work began.

“This great landmark began life, as most of you know as an exhibit at the Chicago Century of Progress Exhibition in 1933 and 34, where it dazzled visitors with its radically modern design,” Davis said. “When the fair closed, it was barged across Lake Michigan to the fledgling community of Beverly Shores, along with four of its companion houses nearby.”

The all glass home debuted in the midst of the Great Depression.

According to Indiana Landmarks, the House of Tomorrow offered a hopeful vision of a brighter, easier future.

Chicago architect George Fred Keck designed the home and fully equipped it with all of the latest innovations.

It has an open floor plan, central air conditioning and an iceless refrigerator.

But due to costly repairs, the home has been vacant since 1999.

“I’m a cyclist, I’ve riden my bike by this building hundreds of times,” Jeff Bergland with Bergland Construction said. “Typically on my ride, I look up at the House of Tomorrow and think how great it would be to someday see it restored to its original glory.”

On Thursday, construction kicked off to restore the national treasure.

The $4 million exterior restoration funded by the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund.

Photos: Inside Beverly Shores’ Century of Progress tropical home; available for $2.5M in cash

“I think when we look at these projects, it does take forever to get things going and the government process is never easy,” Chris Pergiel, deputy superintendent of the Indiana Dunes, said. “I think the results are going to be outstanding here.”

The hope is to bring the House of Tomorrow back to the future.

“The result will be a long-term assets for the Indiana Dunes National Park and a landmark for future generations,” Charles Hasbrouck with bKL Architecture said.

This is just the first phase of the project.

Once the exterior work is complete, project leaders will then determine how much work the interior will need and then eventually what the property’s final use will be.

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