Since 2018 I’ve been following American Foursquare houses in the news to learn more about the architecture type of house. I was inspired to learn more when my husband and I bought one in 2012 and discovered it was called a Foursquare while researching its history.
What have I learned?
- That Foursquares are making the news from coast to coast, and in-between;
- The charm of foursquare homes are being celebrated through house tours;
- Homeowners are rehabilitating and restoring the character of these beautiful homes;
- And they are winning preservation awards for their efforts;
- Foursquares for sale vastly differ in size and price – from $200k to almost $2m;
- Were or currently owned by a diverse group of influential people;
- Local groups are passionately fighting against the demolitions of Foursquares;
- Larger foursquares have been converted to charming Bed and Breakfasts; and
- Foursquares homes (and churches!) have inspired the arts, music, and literature scene
Below is a list of articles I’ve discovered through Google Alerts by year. I’ve tried to weed out those articles that require a paid subscription to read, but I may have missed one or two!
This post contains affiliate links, including but not limited to, Amazon Associates. As such, I earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure located here.
I update this page monthly (with the most recent news articles listed at the top) so be sure to bookmark this page and visit often!
BTW – if you want to learn more about the architecture and history behind these beautiful homes, be sure to check out What is a Foursquare House?
2021 Foursquare Houses in the News
- Richmond, VA: 4416 Stuart Ave, Richmond City, VA 23221 (real estate)
- Sterling Heights, MI: A story from the sidewalk: John Dingell Jr. slept here (US politician childhood home)
- Kansas City, MO: Historic Preservation Council to consider local nominations for National Register
- Pittsburgh, PA: This American Foursquare on Mt. Washington Comes with a Backyard Oasis (real estate)
- Richmond, VA: 3013 Woodrow Ave, Richmond City, VA 23222 (real estate)
- American Songwriter (online): Denison Witmer Talks First New Album in Seven Years on “Basic Folk” (music)
- Lansdowne, PA: Just Listed: Renovated Tudor Foursquare in Lansdowne (mentions Tudor Revival Foursquare?)
- Monmouth County, NJ: Historical Commission presents 2021 Preservation Awards
- Westlake, OH: The 1914 Clifton and Adeline Aldrich House, 28905 Osborn Road (house history)
- Yorktown, NY: Can Relocation Bring New Life to Historic Properties in Yorktown? (potential demo)
- Jersey Shore, NJ: Renovated Foursquare in Margate
- Pittsburgh, PA: Foursquare house in Bellevue has 4 bedrooms, 1½ baths for under $290,000
- Charleston, WV: Randolph, Lewis County areas added to National Register of Historic Places
- Wilmington, DE: Dallas Shaw Showcases Her Eclectic Interior Aesthetic in Her Wilmington Home
- Better Homes & Gardens (online): Upbeat Colors and Rehabbed Rescues Take This 1920s New Jersey Foursquare from Basic to Bold (home tour)
- Los Angeles, CA: Historic Foursquare Home With Hollywood Ties Hits A Red-Hot Los Angeles Market
- Nashville, TN: Sylvan Park bakery building sees asking price hike
- Alliance, OH: Talk to highlight Mark Twain’s Alliance visit (historic preservation award)
- Philadelphia, PA: On the Market: Renovated Foursquare in Mt. Airy
- Chicago, IL: Five Handsome Homes for Sale in Oak Park
- Fort Collins, CO: Boutique hotel proposed for 2 historic Fort Collins buildings
- Nashville, TN: Row building once owned by Jerry Reed listed for sale (celebrity)
Interested in learning more about celebrities and influencers like Country Music singer/producer Jerry Reed and Foursquares? Click the image below.
2020 Foursquare Houses in the News
- Fort Wayne, IN: 12 historic Fort Wayne gems to explore on the first virtual Williams Woodland Park Holiday Home Tour
- Albany, NY: Photos: See inside the NY home where a 1920s bootlegger’s stash was found
- Oklahoma City, OK: Mail-order modern: OKC homebuilder capitalizes on vintage niche (new builds)
- Newport, KY: Our Rich History: As NKY’s oldest city, Newport has rich architectural heritage and treasures abound
- Concord, NH: 23 Ridge Road In Concord, New Hampshire: Wow! (for sale)
- Portsmouth, NH: 275 Miller Avenue In Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Wow!
- Eugene, OR: New paintings and assemblages by Robert Schlegel span a broad emotional range (Foursquare churches in art)
Want to learn more about Foursquares in American culture, like music, sewing and art? Click image below to learn more.
- Spokane, WA: Enterprising spirit: Bed and breakfast owner struggles to keep open with almost no guests (Bed & Breakfast)
- Longmont, CO: A Historical Home In Longmont, CO By Catherine Burgess (for sale)
- Chicago, IL: Lakeview’s historic Daniel O. Hill House, once at risk of demolition, set to become apartments after selling for $1.7 million
- Dallas, TX: Take a look at a Munger Place three-bedroom classic that dates back 100 years (house for sale)
- Lynchburg, VA: Big dreams for Lynchburg home that played a role in desegregating the game of tennis (celebrity)
- Boston, MA: On the Market: A Dreamy American Foursquare in Milton
- Toronto, Canada: Wolfe Island residents rally to protect house from demolition
- Atwood Magazine: Feature: Denison Witmer’s Breathtaking American Foursquare is a Soundtrack to Life Lived (music)
- Lynchburg, VA: Couple surrounded by family memories in Clifford home (house tour)
- Chattanooga, TN: The four historic districts of Chattanooga, TN
- Leesburg, VA: Home of the Week: 407 S. King Street, Leesburg (for sale)
- The Architect’s Newspaper (online): Unresolved Legibility is a deep dive into American Housing (book)
- Los Angeles, CA: 5 Los Angeles open houses you can tour virtually
- Erie, PA: Snapshot: Erie’s Rich History Preserved in Buildings
- Seattle, WA: ‘House Lessons: A Port Townsend’ home tells a tale of family and place (book)
- Pacific NW Magazine (online): The Backstory: When where you live becomes how you live and, even more foundationally, who you are (book)
Read a review of “House Lessons” in the post 10 Perfect Books for Old House Enthusiasts
- Montreal, Canada: A house built to last: An American Foursquare in l’Épiphanie (house tour)
- Austin, TX: Preservation Austin’s 2020 Homes Tour Gives Downtown Living Its Due
- Chicago: IL: 11,000 Sq Ft East Lake View Mansion For $2.3 MM With Cave: 448 W Barry
2019 Foursquare Houses in the News
- Chicago: IL: What $775K buys in Chicago right now
- Tarentum, PA: Scottdale house tour, West Overton holiday market to get you in the spirit
- Peoria, IL: Peoria Holiday Home Tour features five historic buildings
- Detroit: MI: Welcome Mat: Romeo Christmas Home Tour is Dec. 7
- Detriot, Michigan: Still on the market: Indian Village home with historic charm for $625K (Designed by famed architect C. Howard Crane)
- Morehead City, NC: Craftsman Style Architecture Tour will feature 10 homes, train depot
- Chicago, IL: In Albany Park, woodsy American Foursquare house with wild back porch asks $450K
- Nashville, TN: Music Row property sells for $1.3M
- Hooked on Houses (online): Cedar Winds Farmhouse for Sale in Tennessee
- Norristown, PA: Hamilton St. Brick Home In Norristown From 1900 For Sale (for sale)
- Del Ray, VA: Del Ray WOW House: 1910 Home With Vintage Details (home for sale previously owned by a Del Ray Artisans founder)
- Frankfort, KY: Franklin County Trust for Historic Preservation presents 2019 Martha Moore Awards
- Baileys Harbor: WI: Pastoral Living at Whitefish Bay Farm B&B (lodging)
Ready for a road trip? Visit these American Foursquare B&Bs and Vacation Rentals located throughout the USA by clicking the image below….
- Albany, NY: On the market: 4 homes around $250K (for sale)
- Chicago: IL: Live in this American Foursquare with a perfect front porch in Rogers Park for $629K
- Fort Wayne, IN: Fort Wayne receives historic preservation grants
- Memphis, TN: Sneak peek: See inside two houses on 2019 Central Gardens Home and Garden Tour
- Jefferson City, MO: Survey identifies West Main properties for National Register
- Minneapolis, MN: Lavish $4.1M country manor in Medina has hints of Martha Stewart’s farm (for sale)
- Jefferson City, MO: Hobo Hill House to be featured in paranormal show on Travel Channel (haunted house)
- Salem, MA: Artfully restored home is a true Gloucester treasure (for sale)
- Milwaukee, WI: 53212 Presents’ Premiere Performance (theater stage design)
- Loveland, CO: The Oasis on Eisenhower has a long history in Loveland (vacation rental)
- Seattle, WA: Capitol Hill’s historic Gaslight Inn listed for $3.5 million
- Design & Living (online magazine): An American Foursquare Revisited (home tour)
- Chicago, IL: Get Prairie Schooled by These River Forest Homes
- Detriot, Michigan: A Brief Look Back: These seven buildings are significant in Northville’s history
- Chicago, IL: American foursquare-style mansion in Lakeview (house tour)
- Chicago, IL: One price, three homes: Here’s what $750,000 buys now
- Sears House Seeker (online): Aladdin Charleston In Camden, New York
Sears wasn’t the only mail order catalog to offer Foursquare kit houses. Click the image below to learn about the company that sold more kit houses than Sears…
- Los Angeles, CA: Neighborhood Spotlight: Arlington Heights, a ‘streetcar suburb,’ is now a central character
- Chicago, IL: Before Frank Lloyd Wright, Victorian Homes Ruled Oak Park (for sale)
- Roanoke, VA: The Rescue House (rehabilitation)
2018 Foursquare Houses in the News
- Atlanta, GA: At $1.5M, this 1910 Midtown beauty ‘checks all the boxes’ indeed
- Forbes (online): What Kind Of Architecture Best Withstands Hurricanes?
- Chicago, IL: Four New Historical Edgewater Buildings Join 2018 Open House Chicago
- Rochester, NY: Historic Maplewood Home Tour to showcase 7 houses
- Murfreesboro, TN: Family to host ‘An Evening on Lytle’ for Main Street Murfreesboro
- Arlington, VA: Arlington Dips Below DC in Median Home Sales Price
- Raleigh, NC: In Situ Studio revitalizes dilapidated brick Nolintha Residence in North Carolina
- Boulder, CO: Beachy in Boulder (house tour)
- Omaha, NE: Three college graduates spend nearly one year restoring historic home
- Chevy Chase, MD: John Carlson bought a house in Chevy Chase for $2.5 million (celebrity)
The American Foursquare house and Motown share history. Click on the image below to learn more.
- Boston, MA: For sale: American Foursquares in Andover and Dorchester
- Texas (online): Are Brett and Kara Phillips From “Home to Last” Texas’s New Fixer Uppers?
- Springfield, IL: Historical home tour to benefit sesquicentennial
- Roanoke, VA: The Rebirth of an American Foursquare (rehabilitation)
Sometimes rehabilitations include additions. Click the image below to see 20+ unique additions to Foursquare homes.
- Hyannis, MA: Demolition Delay Waived for Turn-of-Century Falmouth House
- Richmond, VA: The house the Richmond couple chose on the latest ‘House Hunters’ episode
- Davenport, IA: Rock Island, RI Preservation Society to honor restoration efforts May 21 (historic preservation award)
- Dallas, TX: 8 houses open doors to history on this year’s Swiss Avenue home tour
- Houston, TX: Heights home tour showcases homes rescued from potential teardown
- Fort Wayne, IN: Fort Wayne Historic Preservation Commission recommends approval of local historic district for Lake Avenue duplex
- Old House Online (online Journal): Restoring an American Foursquare
- Everett, WA: Top-to-bottom renovation rejuvenates Rucker home
Related Posts
Want to be the first to know about new posts? Be sure to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter of even Etsy! Or better yet… Subscribe below!
My monthly (admittedly sometimes more, sometimes less….) emails are like receiving a unexpected letter from an old friend WITHOUT needing to put on your slippers and walk out to your mailbox…. See? I got ya, my friend!)
[Note: My posts are proudly connected to these amazing link parties full of DIY ideas and inspiration!]