It’s a Mod, Mod, Mod Riverfront
By Emily Taggart Schricker
Recently the National Park Service (NPS) did a massive clearing of brush and growth along the Falmouth side of the Rappahannock River (near Fredericksburg, Virginia). I had heard about it and didn’t think much of it. People have raised concerns about flood erosion and other things, but I just have to assume that the NPS and the Army Corps of Engineers have probably already thought this whole thing through…
A reason circulated that they did the clean up to restore the viewshed from Chatham. Standing on the lawn of Chatham looking out over the river to Fredericksburg is a remarkable site and I appreciate the fact that I can see Chatham more clearly from the Fredericksburg side of the river—the intersection of Lewis and Sophia Street never looked so nice.
But during a recent drive on River Road, on the Falmouth side of the river, I came to realize that the benefits of the clearing are much, much more. Finally I can see the back of the “modern” house often referred to as the “Burger King” house on Sophia Street. The front of it that faces the street is pleasant. Not everyone in Fredericksburg agrees with me, but I see it as matching in scale and massing for the area, and it in no way attempts to simulate a more historical building that it is. But now I could finally see it from the riverside! Wow!! I’m in love!
Most alluring are the glass walls that must bring the scenery of the Rapphannock River directly into the home. It is as if Richard Neutra had completed his tasks in Palm Springs, California and headed to Virginia for a new canvas. (Now if they would just let me do a Julius Shulman inspired photo shoot!) It has a long, low profile that mirrors the flow of the Rappahannock River, and a decidedly modern use of materials. What appears from my vantage point to be predominantly metal and glass does an outstanding job of creating a new stop on the architectural history tours of Fredericksburg, this one just may be done best by boat.
Additional Resources
Getty Art Museum- Case Study House #22
Getty Art Museum- Julius Shulman Resources
Arch Daily- Julius Shulman (1910-2009)
Hidden History of the Kaufmann House (Richard Neutra, 1946)
