No visit to Jim Morrow’s All-Steel Historic Home would be complete without a swing past the Century of Progress Architectural District in nearby Beverly Shores, where you can see four model homes from the 1933 World’s Fair. It’s a trip back to the future and a glimpse of Lustron’s inspiration.
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The four houses were part of a group of homes built to showcase advanced technology and design. They include what Morrow calls the “granddaddy of Lustron,” the Armco-Ferro House, a frameless two-story made of the same material Lustron used–enamel-coated steel. Also here: the House of Tomorrow, a 12-sided steel and glass “wedding cake” with its own airplane hangar, designed by Chicago brothers George and William Keck; the Wieboldt-Rostone House, an art deco two-story made of an experimental shale and limestone mix that turned out to be “the stone equivalent of plywood” and had to be covered over after starting to disintegrate; and the Florida Tropical House, a faded pink concrete dream with decks and porthole windows and spectacular views of the lake. A fifth house, the Cypress Log Cabin, is hidden by shrubs.
Except for rarely scheduled ranger-guided tours, there is no access to the inside of the houses; those rented must be viewed from the road only. To get there, take Kemil Road east from the national park’s Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center (Kemil Road becomes State Park Road) and turn right at Lake Front Drive. You’ll pass three Lustron Homes on the way. A free, one-page auto tour guide is available at Morrow’s house or at the park’s visitor center (219-926-7561).
