Some New Angles

The dog days of summer are upon us, blunting my enthusiasm for the search.

On a quiet Sunday afternoon, I returned to the historical Washington Post, looking for any relevant articles I might have missed. Nothing new to be found between February 27, 1955 (when the Home Show closed), and December 31, 1956 (an artibrary date of my choosing.)

I did get a whiff of how big the Home Show was when I browsed the radio listings from February 19, 1955. At 1:00 pm on station WWDC, deejay Fred Fiske hosted "Prize and Party:" four hours of music from the Home Show.

Is this the same Fred Fiske who is now a senior commentator for WAMU radio? Would he care to share his insights?

At 1:45 pm, station WRC broadcast the Home Show opening, with Johnny Batchelder "handling the interviews."

My other promising source is "Mid-Century Mike." Mike blogs on Modern Capital, where he keeps track of mid-century modern homes and neighborhoods surrounding Washington, D.C.

In the July 13 posting, Mike describes a 1955, two-story home in Herndon Woods that was designed by architect Charles Goodman and built by National Homes. As of August 1, the home is for sale for $250,000.

Could this be it?

I e-mailed Mike and asked if he knew whether this was the property that had been built for the Home Show. He has not seen anything in his research, but he does know someone who lived in the house in the 1970s and has asked her what she knows. Needless to say, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

So with the weekend drawing to a close, it looks like I have some more phone calls to make.

Meanwhile, check out Modern Capital for more information on mid-century modern architecture in D.C., and Charles Goodman, the architect who designed the Customliner (and other models) for National Homes.

Sources:

Modern Capital

The Washington Post and Times Herald (1954-1959); Feb 19, 1955; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The Washington Post pg. 21