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Buxton Bungalow, 1912
Purcell, Feick, and Elmslie
424 Main Street East, Owatonna
Purcell and architect Marion Alice Parker designed this small bungalow for "empty nesters" C.I. Buxton and his wife. Buxton was secretary of the Minnesota Mutual Fire Insurance Company (later the Federated Insurance Companies), and commissioned a late Prairie School style building for his company across from the National Farmer’s Bank in downtown Owatonna (see Farmer's Bank stop on this tour). Parker, the only female drafter in Purcell and Elmslie's office, was one of the few women in the United States practicing progressive architecture. She became quite skilled in executing the abstracted organic ornament essential to Purcell and Elmslie's unified design. Parker and Purcell enlivened the rustic, board-and-batten and shingle exterior of the Buxton bungalow with polychrome sawed-wood decoration. Purcell declared, "She and I spent time and study on every smallest arrangement and detail." The budget for the bungalow was limited, but they also managed to include art-glass bookcase doors to further the organic design. As in the E.L. Powers House (See Lake of the Isles Tour), the living room is at the rear, to take advantage of the garden view. The interior of the bungalow has been extensively remodeled. next stop > |