Century of Progress Historic District

 The Century of Progress Historic District is a group of five innovative 1933 World’s Fair  houses in Beverly Stores , Indiana, preserved within Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

     Origins in the 1933-34 Chicago World’s Fair.

     The district’s history starts with the Century of Progress International Exposition, held in Chicago from May 1933 to November 1934 to celebrate the city’s centennial and showcase scientific and technological innovation during the Great Depression.

     The fair emphasized modern technology, experimental materials and futuristic designs, offering hope economic hardship.

     The ” Homes of Tomorrow” exhibition displayed 12 model houses demonstrating affordable, mass producible construction, new mechanical systems and modernist styles.  Relocation may Beverly Shores 

  Real estate developer Robert Bartlett purchased these houses from the fair and transported them to a new resort community on the Indiana shores of Lake.Michigan.  Four were moved by barge in 1935.and one(Cypress Log Cabin) by.truck.  Bartlett hoped the striking, futuristic homes would attract buyers to Beverly Shores.

The Five Houses

The district includes:

     Cypress Log Cabin-rustic appearance appearance with modern.amenities

     House of Tomorrow – a futuristic protype home

     Armco-Ferro Houses built from enamel steel and porcelain, designed for mass production.

     Florida Tropical Homes commissioned by  the State of Florida to promote tourism

      Weibolt -Rostone House constructed with limestone,shale, alkali and steel.beams

Historical Significance

The district is significant for its architectural innovation, technological advance, and in promoting  modern living ideals during the Depression.  Even 90 years later, the homes retain.a modern, futuristic  character, making them.a unique blend of history and design

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     Drier’s  Meat Market has been a cornerstone of 3 Oaks, Michigan serving the community as a family owned butcher shop for.over 150 years.

   Dewey Cannon

    The Dewey Cannon is a historic Spanish Bronze cannon now located in Dewey Cannon Park in 3 Oaks, Berrien County, Michigan. and designated as a Michigan Registered Historic Site.

     Origins and capture.

     The cannon was originally mounted on Corregidor Island in the Spanish Colonial Harbor of Manila Bay. In May,1898, during the Spanish American War, the U.S. forces under Commodore George Dewey captured the island after the battle of Manila Bay.  The cannon was at least 30 years old and already obsolete, was taken as a prize of war. It was renamed in Dewey’s honor.

     Fund raising contest

      After its capture, the cannon was shipped to the U.S. and displayed in San Francisco.  The National Monument Committee of New York offered it as a trophy to the community that raised the most money per capita toward a memorial for the sailors who died when the U.S. Maine exploded in 1898.

     3 Oaks Victor

     The town of 3 Oaks with about $1400–the largest per person contributions of any community at the time.  This sum was equivalent to over $54,000 in 2020 dollars. The town pledged a square block for a park for the cannon.