Wieboldt-Rostone House, Century of Progress architectural site in Beverly Shores, Indiana, United States
The Wieboldt-Rostone House is a residential building in Beverly Shores with a steel frame system covered with experimental Rostone panels, a material made from limestone waste and shale. The construction shows a blend of steel structure and innovative exterior materials that were developed during the Great Depression.
The house was originally built in 1933 for the Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago and transported by barge across Lake Michigan to Beverly Shores in 1935. This relocation made it one of the few movable homes that brought the experimental architecture of that era to a location outside Chicago.
The house shows how people during the economic crisis wanted to try new building materials and could use waste products sensibly. Visitors can see today that such experiments were part of everyday life when it came to affordable and practical solutions for home construction.
The house is located in Indiana Dunes National Park along the shoreline and is easy to reach on foot if you follow the local trails. Visitors should know it is a protected landmark, so you should remain respectful and photograph only from outside.
The original Rostone material deteriorated within just a few years, and in 1950 it was replaced with Perma-Stone, but fragments of the original remain visible around the entrance and fireplace. These remnants show how quickly experimental materials of that era failed in practice, even though they were promising when introduced.
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