Listed in Arkansas Register of Historic Places on 08/02/17

The Evans M. “Mac” and Alice Bush House at 1100 Daley Terrace Drive is located in the western edge of the Western Hills subdivision.^[1] Begun by architect Irven Granger McDanielaround the early 1950s, early construction in the Western Hills Subdivision was largely concentrated close to Whittington Ave, before stretching up Daley Terrace Drive. Construction in the western areas of the Western Hills subdivision was platted though never developed.^[2] Although sparse, a few homes were constructed under the original development scheme set up by I. Granger McDaniel. General development of the eastern areas of Western Hills subdivision was generally sparse and remains sparsely developed thanks in part to heavily forested lots that helped play in to the designs created by I. Granger McDaniel for the homes being constructed in the development throughout the 1950s. The Evans M. “Mac” and Alice Bush House, constructed in 1956-57, was either the second or third house built along Daley Terrace due to the dates of the houses that have primary source materials. However, because of the home’s excellent design, the Evans M. “Mac” and Alice Bush House is being nominated to the Arkansas Register of Historic Places under Criterion C with Local Significance as an excellent example of Mid-Century Modern architecture in Hot Springs. The contemporary influence^[3] is strongly depicted in the design of the Evans M. “Mac” and Alice Bush House with its wide eave overhangs and flat or low-pitched roofs. The most distinctive characteristic of the Evans M. “Mac” and Alice Bush House is the exposed supporting beams, or engaged pilasters which are very common throughout this sub-type and style.

Narrative Statement of Significance

The Evans M. “Mac” and Alice Bush House is located in Hot Springs’ Western Hills Subdivision. The Western Hills Subdivision development began in early 1950s, and grew from east to west along Daley Terrace Drive. Constructed in 1956-57, the Evans M. “Mac” and Alice Bush House was one of only four homes constructed along Daley Terrace Drive in the 1950s before the development collapsed or at least failed to materialize to the full extent of the original platting of Western Hills. Mr. Bush’s job as a construction contractor and great friend of Western Hills developer and Architect I. Granger McDaniel, helped play in to the platting and development of the Evans M. “Mac” and Alice Bush House and lot. The McDaniel and Bush families were close friends during this time period as “Mac” Bush is the godfather to I. Granger McDaniel’s daughter, Diana.

The first owners of the house at 111 Daley Terrace Drive were Evans M. “Mac” and Alice Bush. Mr. Bush was a native of Waco, Texas, born on February 18, 1923, to Evans and Flay Bush^[4]. Upon graduating from high school in Waco, Texas, Mr. Bush received his undergraduate degree from the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (Texas A & M University) in Industrial Education. The industrial education degree earned by Evans Bush would have allowed him to teach or train others in the areas of vocational training which included metal fabrication and use, but also the use of wood products and finishes.^[5] Following his stay at the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (Texas A & M University), Mr. Bush immediately went into World War II. While at Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas he joined the ranks of the United

States Cavalry.^[6] Upon graduation he reported to Camp Hood as part of the 126^th Calvary. After passing through Camp Hood, Evans “Mac” Bush eventually was commissioned as a junior officer at the rank of 1^st Lieutenant and unit commander within the 602^nd Tank Destroyer

Battalion. The 602^nd Tank Destroyer Battalion was assigned to General George Patton’s command as part of Patton’s 3^rd Army, and Evans Bush took part in campaigns across France, Italy, Belgium, and Germany.^[7] It is while in Belgium that Bush was able to take part in in denying Germany its last great offensive campaign known as the Battle of the Bulge. ^[8]

Following the Allied victory in both Europe and in the Pacific, Bush returned home to Texas to begin in the field of construction. “After World War II and Korea, Mac worked as a construction estimator for Robert E. McKee Construction in Dallas, Texas, before moving to Midland, Texas to manage projects in 1947.”^[9] It is during this time that Evans M. Bush married his wife of 25 years Alice Johnson. Following his time in Midland, the family moved to Little Rock, Arkansas for a year or two before eventually moving to Hot Springs in 1951 to a location near the intersection of Holly Street and Park Avenue. It is also during the early years of living in Arkansas that Evans M. Bush struck up a friendship with well-known Hot Springs Architect I. Granger McDaniel.

Irven Granger McDaniel (1923-1978) was born to Irven Donald McDaniel (1894-1960) and Camille Lewis-McDaniel (1902-1988) in 1923 in Memphis, Tennessee. He was one of four children to the couple. His father was an architect of some renown in Memphis, and by 1922 Irven D. owned a firm in Memphis, Tennessee, named Sieg & McDaniel. While there he worked on the designs for a number of buildings including two high end apartment buildings, the Almadura Apartments (1922) and the Mansfield Arms Apartments (1922), and the celebrated Tudor Revival Mansion Walrow in 1925. In 1930 the elder McDaniel moved to Hot Springs,

Arkansas. However, Irven D’s work moved more towards a Modernist aesthetic in the late 1940’s. Like “Mac” Bush, I. Granger McDaniel also served during World War II in the Royal Air Force, entering battle before the United States’ entrance into the war.^[10] It is possible that this transition to International Style designs was the result of his son's return from the war and Granger McDaniel going to work with his father.

Granger McDaniel had worked in his father’s office in Hot Springs when he was young and showed great promise as an architect. When McDaniel returned from the war his father was anxious to put him to work at his firm again. The knowledge of Modernism that he had gained through the years of study would soon pay off. He joined his father's firm in 1946 after taking some much deserved R & R. In 1950 the father-son team decided to move from the home office at 704 Whittington Avenue to a new building of their own design at 800 Whittington Avenue so the firm would have room to expand.

At the same time the McDaniel architectural firm was planning for a new building, they began to set aside land for a new development to the north of their new office building. The new development would be platted as the Western Hills Subdivision. Early construction in the Western Hills Subdivision was largely concentrated close to Whittington Ave, before stretching up Daley Terrace Drive. Construction in the western areas of the Western Hills subdivision was platted though never developed.^[11] Although sparse, a few homes were constructed under the original development scheme set up by the I. Granger McDaniel. General development of the

eastern areas of Western Hills subdivision was generally sparse and remains sparsely developed thanks in part to heavily forested lots that helped play in to the designs created by I. Granger

McDaniel for the homes being constructed in the development throughout the 1950s. The Evans M. “Mac” and Alice Bush House, constructed in 1954-55, was either the second or third house built along Daley Terrace due to the dates of the houses that have primary source materials.

The design of the Evans M. “Mac” and Alice Bush House at 111 Daley Terrace Drive is clearly derived from the modernist architectural styles which were already becoming popular in Europe that became popular by the 1940s. The Contemporary subtype of the Mid-Century Modern period of architecture is defined through the outward expression of several characteristics, the house features flat and a newly sloped roof, which would have been found on this type of house in other circumstances, various combinations of wood and stone on the exterior, and wide overhanging eaves. Yet, the most distinctive characteristic of the home is its exposed supporting beams, or engaged pilasters. The exposed supporting beams, or engaged pilasters, help break up the exterior walls in to definable bays. This characteristic is found on all but one elevation.

This is really noticeable on the north and south elevations where the engaged pilasters are visible as they are set out and accentuated between walls of glass. Though there are really two principal subtypes (flat roof and low slope gable) within the Mid-Century Contemporary subtype and both of these subtypes use variations of processed wood, stone and brick cladding during this period. ^[12] This variation in exterior cladding was used between the 1940s and 1980s and fits within the time frame in which the Evans M. “Mac” and Alice Bush House was built.

The Evans M. “Mac” and Alice Bush House was designed in what is called the Populist Modern style, which was essentially vernacular Modernism. It is generally defined as a form of Mid-Century Modern architecture that took inspiration from the work of multiple early Modernist architects, such as Gropius, Saarinen, Neutra, Wright, or Mies van der Rohe, combined and reinterpreted them to create a style which exhibits a great deal of variation. In the Evans M. “Mac” and Alice Bush House we see the influence of High Modern design in the large expanses of glazing in the public areas of the house which create an indoor-outdoor connectivity that was commonly praised in Modernism architecture. The full embodiment of this idea is best seen in

Philip Johnson’s 1949 Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut, and in Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s 1951 Farnsworth House in Plano, Illinois. In these designs the boundaries of inside and outside spaces are blurred by the continuation of materials from indoor to out and almost excessive amounts of clear glass. Additionally, this vein of Modernism also advocated for a more open plan where sight lines existed between most if not all of the house, which is similar to the spatial arrangement of the public areas of the Bush house. In contrast, we see an increased level of privacy in the private spaces of the house, similar to the Usonian designs of Frank Lloyd Wright. In the southeastern end of the house the glazing is much narrower and shorter in comparison to the public spaces. Also the private spaces, being the bedrooms and bathrooms, are all grouped together at one end of the house to create a more dynamic design effect on the exterior. However, the Bush House lacks the “compression-expansion” sequence that was commonly found in the work of Wright and his subsequent subscribers. Instead we see a uniform roof/ceiling line throughout the original areas of the house that reads as being more comparable to the Miesian school of thought. Another Wrightian derived design element of the house is the material selections. Unlike the Miesian vein of Modernist design where the building is meant to be an object in the landscape, the Bush House seems to take more cues from the landscape-integration concepts present in the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, as seen in the design for Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona. It is the combination of these contrasting elements from the work of early Modernist architects that signal the Evan M. “Mac” and Alice Bush House as being a Populist Modern design. Populist Modern designs were the most common form of Mid-Century Modern architecture in Arkansas due to the relatively rare instances of local architects directly following the ideals of a single Modernist vein of thought. It was also the most popular among the general public who liked to see High Modernist designs in magazines but wanted something more appropriately scaled and budget friendly for themselves.

Though the earliest American houses in this style date from the 1940s, many of them were “a favorite for architect designed houses built during the period the period from about 1950 to 1970.”^[13] With this knowledge about the time period in which the Evans M. “Mac” and Alice Bush House was built and the characteristics used in this type of building style and construction, it is easy to see how previous life experiences, of both McDaniel and Bush, played into the

design and construction of the home. McDaniel’s use of this style of architecture upon coming back after World War II and Bush’s experience in being educated to teach others about included

metal fabrication and use, but also the use of wood products and finishes. Bush’s experience as a building contractor and his education about these types of building materials helps substantiate there use on the exterior of the home.

Following the construction of the home, the Bush family continued to own the property through Evans “Mac” Bush’s death, when the property was inherited by his son Evans McKinley “Kin” Bush III. “Kin” Bush would eventually sell the property to Deborah and James Adams. However, while the Bushes lived in the house “Mac” and McDaniel remained friends through the death of McDaniel. Yet, the construction of the home remains a great intersection of the two friend’s personal lives and professional careers. “Mac” would continue to construction great works of architecture throughout Arkansas including, but not limited to, “shopping centers, financial institutions, hotels, hospitals, detention facilities, and office buildings.”^[14] Some of these local examples of Bush’s work include the Hot Springs Convention Auditorium, Levi Towers, Arkansas State Highway Department Headquarters, Queen Wilhelmina Lodge, multiple schools around Central Arkansas, and the Minimum Security Unit at Cummins Prison.

Though the house has had an addition added to the side of the house in the form of an attached breezeway and new garage/living space in 2016, the Contemporary Subtype of the Mid- Century Modern period is still visible and is emphasized in areas on these new parts of the property. The entire tradition of this style of architecture has been stretched across four decades in the United States. It is remarkable that this style of architecture has endured as long as it has after being dismissed as early as the 1970s because there was a “dissatisfaction growing … as it became apparent that an abstract approach often failed to take into account the needs and effects of specific sites, climates, and materials.^[15] Yet, the nostalgia of the style of architecture continues to resonate with the both home buyers and builders.

Though the variations of this style of architecture are continuing to progress and evolve over a period of four decades, the Evans M. “Mac” and Alice Bush House remains an excellent example of the variation of the Contemporary subtype of the Mid-Century Modern period of architecture. The styles of architecture produced during this time all continued to show similar characteristics including the flat or sloped roofline, a lack of ornamentation, and the ability to bring the inside, out or the outside, in.

Therefore, the Evans M. “Mac” and Alice BushHouse, which was built between 1956-1957, is being nominated to the Arkansas Register of Historic Places under Criterion C with local significance for its significance as an great example of a Mid-Century Modern style building designed by I. Granger McDaniel and built by locally renowned contractor “Mac” Bush for himself and his family. The Evans M. “Mac” and Alice Bush House has an interesting history beginning before the house was ever built right to the present day.

Bibliography (Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form.)

Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. “Bush, E.M. Jr.” The Long Horn 1944. College Station, TX: Graduating Class of 1944, 1945.Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, Texas A&M University, Archives Reading Room.

Carley, Rachel. The Visual Dictionary of American Domestic Architecture. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1997.

McAlester, Virginia, and Lee McAlester. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Alfred Knopf, 1984.

Northern Arizona University, “Industrial Education.” The Curricula 1967-1969. Flagstaff, AZ: Northern Arizona University, 1967-1969.

Obituary, “Evans M. “Mac” Bush”, Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, National Register and Survey Files, Evans M. “Mac” and Alice Bush House File.

Texas Department of State Health Services. Texas Birth Certificates, 1903–1932. “Evans McKinley Bush, Jr.,” iArchives, Orem, Utah.”

[2] Plat maps on file from the Hot Springs Planning and Development office show additional plots, in what is currently owned by the Hot Springs National Park.

[3] See Virginia McAlester and Lee McAlester’s, A Field Guide to American Houses more information on this sub-type of Mid-Century Modern Architecture.

[4]Texas Department of State Health Services. Texas Birth Certificates, 1903–1932. “Evans McKinley Bush, Jr.,” iArchives, Orem, Utah.”

[5] Classes within this degree program may vary from college to college, but generally would have required courses in Metals, drafting, woods and wood finishes, cabinetry, while having classes in other building materials such as plastics, leathers, and lapidary. Yet, courses in education and teaching were also required. (http://www6.nau.edu/library/sca/exhibits/catalogs/Catalog1967_1969/Catalog1967_1969_IndustrialEducation.pdf.)

[6] Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, “Bush, E.M. Jr.”, The Long Horn 1944 (College Station, TX: Graduating Class of 1944, 1945), 28, Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, Texas A&M University, Archives Reading Room.

[7]Obituary, “Evans M. “Mac” Bush”, Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, National Register and Survey Files, Evans M. “Mac” and Alice Bush House File.

[8] He was the recipient of six medals for his service in the European Theater, including three bronze service stars.

[9] Obituary, “Evans M. “Mac” Bush”, Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, National Register and Survey Files, Evans M. “Mac” and Alice Bush House File.

[10] In 1941, at age 17, Granger McDaniel headed to Canada with a forged birth certificate and forged high school diploma to enlist in the Royal Air Force. He told them that he had taken flying lessons in Hot Springs so they made him a pilot in the RAF Eagle Squadron, a special division which was established for American pilots who wanted to join in the fight. He was sent to England for training and by July, 1942 he was flying missions as a co-pilot of a Short Stirling Bomber, the first four-engine heavy bomber of the war. McDaniel’s first and last mission as a captain was a bombing run over Flensburg, Germany. During the run his plane took some damage from anti-aircraft guns and German fighter planes. The plane went down into the North Sea. At Stalag Luft III McDaniel was housed with the British officers instead of the Americans due to his rank in the RAF. It is during his time in Stalag Luft III, that he would be immortalized as the Steve McQueen character in the book The Great Escape by Paul Brickhill, how used the actions of McDaniel as the inspiration for the Steve McQueen character.

[11] Plat maps on file from the Hot Springs Planning and Development office show additional plots, in what is currently owned by the Hot Springs National Park.

[12] Virginia McAlester and Lee McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses (New York: Alfred Knopf, 1984),482.

[13] Ibid.

[14] Obituary, “Evans M. “Mac” Bush”, Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, National Register and Survey Files, Evans M. “Mac” and Alice Bush House File.

[15] Rachel Carley, The Visual Dictionary of American Domestic Architecture (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1997), 252.