Dr. Willard Van Orsdel King House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Dr. Willard Van Orsdel King House
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 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| Location | Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
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| Built | 1951 |
| Built by | Alan Morton |
| Architect | William F. Bigoney Jr. |
| Architectural style | Mid-century modern |
| NRHP reference No. | 06000059 |
| Added to NRHP | 21 February 2006 |
The Dr. Willard Van Orsdel King House is a special old home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. You can find it at 1336 Seabreeze Boulevard. It was built in 1951 and shows off a cool style called Mid-century modern architecture. On February 21, 2006, this house was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as an important historical place.
The house has three bedrooms. It was designed by William F. Bigoney to be bright but also cool in the warm Florida weather. A big central room with two walls made of windows is the main part of the house. It was built when Fort Lauderdale started growing a lot after World War II. A scientist named Willard Van Orsdel King lived here. He worked on controlling mosquitoes.
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About the King House Building
The house is made of solid concrete blocks. It has a unique shape and sits on a concrete base. A curved driveway leads to the front of the house. A large carport for two cars is a big part of the front view. The sides of the house have patios with doors that open into a central room. The house has about 2,000 square feet of living space. The attached carport is 658 square feet.
The roof is flat over the main "Florida room" and slightly sloped at the front and back. The house has many types of windows. These include large window walls, sliding windows, and clerestory windows (windows placed high up on a wall). This three-bedroom home has two and a half bathrooms. It also has a kitchen, a living and dining room combined, and a Florida room.
The south side of the house has two sections of stucco over concrete block. Between them are four sliding glass doors. These doors lead to the southern outdoor patio. Another set of sliding doors on that wall leads to the main bedroom. These same types of doors are also used on the north and south sides of the Florida room.
Inside the King House
The front door opens into a small hallway. This hallway has redwood and rosewood panels. It leads into the living and dining room. This room flows right into the Florida room without a wall separating them. The living and dining room has a high, sloped ceiling made of pine with visible beams. The Florida room's ceiling is lower, flat, and also made of pine. This central room has sliding glass doors along its entire north and south walls.
The Florida room is the heart of the house. You can get to the front and back patios from here. It also connects to two of the bedrooms and much of the living and dining room. Two sections of the house connect to the Florida room from the east and west. The kitchen is on the north side of the west section. The main bedroom and its bathroom are on the south side. The east section has two bedrooms with a shared bathroom between them. There is also a half-bathroom between the kitchen and the carport.
The two bedrooms and bathroom on the east side have high, plastered ceilings. Some original features are still there. These include the high clerestory windows, sliding closet doors with slats, and tiled window sills. The shared bathroom still has its original sliding "pocket" doors, cabinets, tiles, and colored sinks and toilets. The main bedroom's bathroom also has its original pocket door, tiles, and colored fixtures. The kitchen still has its original cabinets and wall tiles.
Changes Over Time
Some parts of the house have been updated since it was built. The south half of the Florida room ceiling was originally glass. In 1964, a storm called Hurricane Cleo damaged these glass panels. They were replaced with solid wood that matched the rest of the ceiling. Around 1974, the sliding glass doors on the north and south of the Florida room were installed. They replaced older fixed glass and jalousie windows. The old jalousie windows were stuck because of the salty air.
The original terrazzo floors were covered. Now, there are ceramic tiles in most areas and teak wood tiles in the main bedroom. The metal awning windows were replaced with new ones of the same size around 1989. This kept the original look. Wall air conditioners were added to the bedrooms in the 1960s. A swimming pool was built in the south patio in 1986. However, this pool is not considered part of the house's historic value.
The Neighborhood Setting
The King House is in the Harbor Beach neighborhood. Building here started in the early 1950s. This house was one of the first built in this area. Most homes built in the 1940s and 1950s in this area were simpler. The King House stands out as a great example of Mid-century modern architecture. It was designed by William F. Bigoney Jr.
William F. Bigoney Jr., the Architect
The King House is one of the few remaining buildings designed by William Francis Bigoney Jr. (1921-1996). He was an important architect in Fort Lauderdale. Bigoney studied with Walter Gropius, who started the famous bauhaus design school. Bigoney is known as one of Fort Lauderdale's most important modern architects. In 2000, the city called him an "Honored Founder."
Bigoney designed the Fort Lauderdale Police Station. He also designed 233 waterfront homes. He was a leader in the city and helped create the Riverwalk project. His home designs used ocean breezes, plants, and careful placement to help keep houses cool. The King House shows this well. Its Florida room has two walls of windows and faces north and south. This helps the house get lots of natural light but avoids direct sunlight. The house still looks very much like Bigoney designed it.
Willard Van Orsdel King, the Scientist
Willard Van Orsdel King (1888-1970) was a scientist who studied insects, called an entomologist. He made big contributions to understanding and controlling mosquitoes in the southeastern United States. King lived in the house from 1953 until he passed away there on March 21, 1970. This house is the place most connected to him.
Starting in 1917, King worked in a lab in Louisiana. He worked for the United States Bureau of Entomology for 13 years. King's work was special because he published his findings in medical journals. This helped doctors and medical scientists use his research. He found that certain types of mosquitoes spread the parasite that causes malaria. His work helped guide efforts to control malaria, including a program for military camps during World War II.
King was the first person to use spraying from planes to control mosquitoes. One of his most important books was Mosquitoes of the Southeastern States in 1939. He continued to make important discoveries into the 1950s. He identified over fifty new types of mosquitoes in New Guinea. He also helped set up a United States Department of Agriculture lab in Orlando in 1946. This lab studied insects that affect people and animals. In 1954, he helped publish the first handbook that looked at 12,000 chemicals as insecticides and repellents.
In Orlando, Florida, King directed the mosquito control work for the United States Bureau of Entomology. He moved there in 1930. By 1931, it was the main office for the bureau's mosquito control work. In the early 1940s, he surveyed Fort Lauderdale several times. He also worked as a consultant for the Florida Department of Health. King's work helped Florida fight diseases spread by insects.
He became a colonel in the U.S. Army in 1941. He served in the South Pacific until 1946. The Army gave him an award for his service. They noted his plans for watching and controlling mosquitoes. His efforts helped reduce malaria, which was making many soldiers sick. The award also said he refused to leave even when he was seriously ill.
King retired in 1953 and moved to the Dr. Willard Van Orsdel King House in Fort Lauderdale. He continued to advise the U.S. Bureau of Entomology on mosquito control. He lived in the house for 17 years until he died there on March 21, 1970.
