Architecture tour highlights mid-20th century modernism

HARLINGEN — Open spaces, cool colors, structural steel columns and huge expanses of glass were in high praise Saturday afternoon as a group of architects toured some of Harlingen’s most architecturally significant homes.

The tour highlighted homes built by John York and Alan Taniguchi from 1949 to 1953 in a style known as mid-20th century modernism.

The tour, made up of members from the Texas Society of Architects and guided by architectural historian Stephen Fox, started in Brownsville Saturday morning and arrived in Harlingen at noon.

The first stop here was the Wilson R. Palmer House, 1910 South Parkwood St. A York house built in 1950, the house was the subject of praise and marvel as homeowners Nydia Tapia-Gonzales and Lupe Gonzales opened their doors to the group of architects.

Nestled along the Arroyo Colorado, the home boasts a scenic view as large windows seem to open and connect to the outdoor space.

Tapia-Gonzales told the architects that the home was a labor of love, and she added that she and her husband have gone to great lengths to keep the house as original as possible.

Distinct to modernism, the Palmer House retains features such as the flat roof, metal beams and open spaces, which are more loft-like, Fox said.

The group then headed down the block to the Frank G. Parker House, 2002 South Parkwood St., built in 1949 and now owned by Evelyn Jensen.

The architects said the Parker House was a very pristine example of York’s design style.

It features doors hinged directly to structural steel columns — eliminating the need for superfluous trim — and huge expanses of site-built, sliding glass doors.

Another landmark visited on Saturday’s tour was The Reese, now in the midst of renovation. The five-story building on 1st Street downtown was once known at the Reese-Wil-Mond Hotel, built in the 1920s.

Owner of the slice of architectural history, Joe Rae Wagner, purchased the building in 2010 and has been hard at work at bringing the building back to life with the help of Meg Jorn and John Pearcy of Megamorphisis Architecture.

Wagner said the building will have an Italian restaurant, commercial spaces and condominiums.

Fox said that modern architecture is a significant part of the Rio Grande Valley and that by preserving, restoring and recycling homes and buildings across the Valley, architectural history will have a better chance of being preserved for future generations.

Other architecturally significant homes in Harlingen include:

>> The Betty Parker and Richard C. Brackett House, 1902 North Parkwood St., 1950. Current owners: Eddie and Isabel Kazan. The house features glass partitions along the highest edges of interior walls between bedrooms. Cocke, Bowman & York.

>> The June Fitzgerald Motheral House, on Laurel Drive, 1951. Current owners: William and Rosanna Jones. Features include a clever master bedroom with a wall of glass, a wall of brick and a wall of doors. CB&Y

>> The Dr. Willis H. Jondahl House, 546 Lake Drive, 1953. Current owners: Mr. & Mrs. John Omick. Alan Taniguchi’s most stately and formal house. Though enlarged, still retains its original frontal appearance and original plantation shutters.

>> The William A. Black House, 538 Lake Drive, 1953. Current owners: Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Kutac. Among its features is a rear wall that is not in one plane, but two, which converge along the center line of the house. Taniguchi.