The 400 block of Keith boasts four Tudor Revival style homes, a testament to European influence on American architecture in the 1920s and early 1930s. Thousands of American soldiers served in Europe during World War I, and many veterans returned home with a new appreciation for European architecture. The Tudor style, with its emblematic half-timbering, steeply pitched roofs, and multi-paned windows, particularly caught their imagination. In the face of short skirts and speakeasies, the style struck a chord with Americans longing for a supposedly simpler past. While the exterior design reflected suburbanites’ ambivalence toward modernity, the homes themselves offered all the modern conveniences. This circa 1931 example features a characteristically arched, accented doorway, half-timbering in the dormer, and an asymmetrical front gable. Accents using clinker bricks—bricks purposely over-fired so they would resemble stone—add to the home’s rustic charm.
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