Zimmerman House

Location: Park Hill, 200 Nebraska St.
Architect: Warren C. Heylman (architectural plans)
Builder: Kenny Frank
Year built: 1955
Original Owners: Mr. & Mrs. Harold L. Zimmerman
Current Owner: Heidi Gluck
Current ranking: 4 (See details)

An outstanding example of contemporary architecture, this compact, steel post and beam two-story is the work of Warren Heylman, a noted Spokane, Wash.-based architect who designed the Spokane International Airport terminal and many other iconic examples of modernism in the Spokane area. Heylman’s brother-in-law, Lee Zimmerman, owner of Zimmerman Steel in Lawrence, commissioned the house for his family.

Heylman served in the Navy during WWII and was stationed in Japan during the Occupation. While there he developed an appreciation for traditional Japanese architecture and its emphasis on simplicity and structural honesty. It is manifest here. From the entrance hall, a floating stairway suspended with metal rods leads to a balcony hallway upstairs that overlooks the living room below. A freestanding fireplace with raised hearth rises to support the second story, and provides separation between the living-dining areas. With no interior doors, movement within the house is free flowing and relaxed. Room-filling natural light is provided by 12X12-foot north-facing windows that reach the top of the cathedral ceiling. Mahogany paneling adorns the walls, providing a rich contrast to the milky white tile flooring. The space is delightfully airy, refined, and minimal.

Despite these attractive qualities, Heylman’s design was controversial early on. Some in the neighborhood did not like it and tried to halt construction. Despite the opposition, two years after it was built the Zimmerman House was featured on a House Beautiful Tour sponsored by the Lawrence branch of the American Association of University Women. In 2107, thanks to the efforts of the Lawrence Preservation Alliance and Lawrence Modern, the property was designated as a Landmark on the Lawrence Register of Historic Places. Today, it remains a courageous example of a modern, Japanese-influenced design successfully adapted to a Midwestern landscape.