Millionaire RowWest 6th Street Erie,

PA

Demi Boeltz, Rebecca Haener, Laura Wisinski

Aesthetic EducationCulminating Project

Dr. Frawley8 November 2010

What do

you… See Hear Smell Feel

Observing Using the Senses

Sight Observations

Sound Observations

Hey You!LISTEN

UP!

Demi and Becca being good listeners!

Smell Observations

Feel Observations

Other Sensory Noticings

It was a brisk fall day We walked all down west

6th street so it was a comfortable temperature and nice distance

Most of the buildings had a texture of cold rough brick and the inside had wood detail

The light was shining through the leaves and it was lovely

West 6th Street

The West Sixth Street Historic District was listed

on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

Functioned as Erie's "Millionaires Row" during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries

The large number of buildings built between 1881 and 1930 illustrates the primarily Victorian and Post-Victorian flavor of the district.

Three buildings are listed individually on the National Register: Charles Manning Reed Mansion, Watson-Curtze Mansion and the John Hill House.

West 6th Street

The easiest generalization to make about this district

is that brick is by far the most prevalent building material with wood frame, stone, stucco and wooden shingle being represented in smaller quantities.

West Sixth Street homes were built by the founders of Erie City Iron Works, First National Bank, H. F. Watson (paper) Company, Black & Germer Radiant Stove Company, Continental Rubber Works, Jarecki Manufacturing Company and numerous others.

Many of the families were of English and Scott-Irish decent.

West 6th Street

The Spencer House, the Collins House, the Davenport

Galbraith House and the Strong Mansion were all bestowed by wealthy industrialists as gifts for their sons and daughters.

Five West Sixth Street buildings constructed between 1890 and 1918 were designed by E. B. Green (1855-1950) of Buffalo, a partner in the firm of Green and Wicks.

Green is responsible for the Taylor Mansion (1890), Watson and Galbraith Mansions (1892) and Strong Mansion (1896), all designed in the Romanesque Revival style, and the Otto Seeker Mansion (1918)

West 6th Street

During the 1930's, the combination of

economic depression and new suburban development ended the reign of West Sixth Street as Erie's wealthiest enclave.

A number of Sixth Street mansions including the Victorian Eclectic Otto Germer Mansion at Sixth and Chestnut Streets were demolished to make room for new rental units which are out of scale and out of character with the district.

West 6th Street

Watson-Curtze

Mansion

Watson-Curtze Mansion

Demi Becca

Laura

Built in 1891 Made into a museum in 1941 Original owner H.F. Watson owned the H. F.

Watson Paper Company. In 1923 the house was sold to Frederick Felix

Curtze. Mr. Curtze was president of the Erie Trust

Company, Heisler Locomotive Works, Union Iron Works and the Keystone Fish Company.

Watson-Curtze Mansion

1979- became the Erie Historical Museum 2000- the Erie Historical Museum and the Erie

County Historical Society merged.  Today, the mansion is a fully furnished

Victorian that offers a glimpse into these families’ lives and the sumptuous living available to them.

Watson-Curtze Mansion

The architectural style of the house is known as

Richardsonian Romanesque, named after the famous architect Henry Hobson Richardson.

1889- house was designed by the firm of Green and Wicks, Buffalo, New York.

This style is characterized by the use of massive geometric shapes, straightforward treatment of stone and broad roof planes. The overall effect depends on mass volume and scale, rather than decorative detailing.

 

Watson-Curtze Mansion

The mansion has 24 rooms, 17 closets, 5

bathrooms and 12 fireplaces. For detail there are mosaics (inlaid patterns

made of bits of stone, glass or other material), friezes (hand-painted oil paintings on canvas that are attached to the upper portion of a wall), decorative woodwork, stained glass windows, Rose Carnagione marble, onyx and red sandstone.

Watson-Curtze Mansion

Watson-Curtze Mansion

Watson-Curtze Mansion

Watson-Curtze Mansion

The Watson-Curtze Mansion has changed over time. It was first built in 1891 and owned by H.F. Watson, owner of the H. F. Watson Paper Company.

Watson sold his mansion in 1923 to Frederick Felix Curtze.

In 1941, the house was made into a museum.

In 1979, it became the Erie Historical Museum.

In 2000, it merged with the Erie County Historical Society

Now, the house has tours given daily to students and curious Erie residents. Part of the house has been turned into a planetarium while the majority of the house still contains a Victorian feel.

Line of Inquiry

Art

Students could pick their favorite piece of architecture and represent it in any form of art they choose. Clay model, drawing, sculpture, painting etc.

Math Students can learn about length, width, height,

and area by doing sample problems that involve the measurements of each of the buildings.

Curriculum Ideas

Music

Students can learn about the types of music from the late 19th and early 20th century Play music for them to listen to Try and recreate the music by using classroom

instruments English

Students can learn about what literature was being written in the late 19th and early 20th century

They can write a story about the building- who lived there? Why was the building built? Etc.

Curriculum Ideas

History

Students can learn about the history and background of the architecture. Who built the houses? Who lived there? What is the house being used for today?

What was the culture like in the late 19th and early 20th century?

Students could go on a field trip and tour the Watson-Curtze Mansion

Curriculum Ideas

Science

Have the students build a structure using note cards. Then see how many books you can place on top of their structure. See who has the best support for the building and talk about why that building with stood the weight They learn how to make a strong building and

what elements help a building withstand time and destruction.

Curriculum Ideas

How many rooms did each of these houses have?

What were the size of the families that lived there? Did the house get passed down through the family?

How many mansions are the total on West 6th? Was there a particular reason all the houses are on W.

6th? What are the houses currently?

Are all the houses still standing? Are some gone? What were the jobs of the people that lived there? How many families lived in the houses until they

became a historic part of Erie?

Questions that Arose

Personal Reflections

The buildings are beautiful and it is great that they are being used and preserved for today’s use.

We liked how they were all on one main street and were easy to access. Also, many of the buildings can be toured so that people can see not only the outer architecture but also the inside detailing.

Curricular Connections

The Watson-Curtze house is a planetarium and does house tours so you could go on a field trip there to see the architecture.

Also there is Spencer bed and breakfast where students could eat lunch or have tea like a 19th century Erie elitist and experience internal detailing and architecture.

Mind Map

Key Ideas

The houses can all be considered architectural masterpieces

Many of them were made into businesses like a planetarium, bed and breakfast, museums, law offices and library.

They hold a lot of information about Erie’s past and are great to learn about!

Key Ideas

Many buildings are turned into useful things since they are no longer houses.

This old mansion was turned into law offices

Inside of Law offices

Waston-Curtze Mansion

http://www.eriecountyhistory.org/museums-exhibits/watson-curtze-mansion/watson-curtze-mansion-history/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alisonhorn/4474203719/sizes/z/in/photostream/

West 6th Street http://www.livingplaces.com/PA/Erie_County/

Erie_City/West_Sixth_Street_Historic_District.html

References