Enoch Hill Turnock

Infobox Architect


name=Enock Hill Turnock
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nationality=English
birth_date=birth date|1857|2|27
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Enock Hill Turnock (born 1857) was an American architect, originally from England.

Family background

Enock was born on February 27 1857, in London, England to Richard and Elizabeth (Hill) Turnock. His father made several trips to America and in 1871 moved his family here. The family voyaged on the “Cuba” and after several weeks at sea they landed in New York City. After visiting with friends and relatives, they came and settled in Elkhart, Indiana in 1872. Enock Hill attended grammar schools in Elkhart as well as high school at the age of 15. It was once explained by Mrs. E.H. Turnock Jr., the origin of the spelling of Enock with a “k” rather than the common spelling with an “h”, she said, “I have been told, that the London family had a son Enoch who died in infancy, but the parents like the name, and named their next son Enock, to distinguish him in family records. Enock was mostly knows as E. Hill but his brothers called him ‘Nock’.” E. Hill Turnock spent his early years in Elkhart, Indiana where he accepted employment with the Lakeshore railroad.

Middle years

Here he worked his way up to head pattern maker. His inclinations and his early talents indicated his career for him when a young man. Part of his training was acquired in the Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois, and for nine years he was with the noted Chicago Illinois architect, W.L.B. Jenney. After that he practiced his profession individually in Chicago Illinois until 1907, in which year he returned to Elkhart, Indiana.

Influences

• W.L. B. Jenney• Frank Lloyd Wright• Henry Hobson Richardson• Daniel H. BurnhamThese architects had a common bond they were all architects from Chicago, Illinois.

Later Years

After spending many years in Chicago working with William Lebaron Jenney, Enock Hill Turnock returned to Elkhart, Indiana in 1907. When Enock Hill Turnock returned to Elkhart he opened his own architectural firm where he designed many finer buildings which included homes, factories, and public buildings. Some of these buildings included the Elkhart City Hall, Elkhart General Hospital, Elkhart High School, the Elkhart Masonic Temple, Elkhart Public Library, a Presbyterian Church, Christian Science Church, the YWCA building, and the Water Company building. Furthermore, Enock Hill Turnock designed other structures like the A.R. Breardsley Mausoleum in the Grace Lawn cemetery, the Rice Cemetery office, and many residential homes located throughout the city of Elkhart. On the other hand, the most recognized and famous home built in Elkhart is the Ruthmere, which was originally built for Mr. and Mrs. A.R. Beardsley.While living in the community Enock Hill Turnock was a member of the Tyrian and Royal lodge of Masons,Christian Country Club, Atherton Club, the old Century Club, and the American Institute of Architects. He also served as the first president of the Indiana Society of Architects. Enock Hill Turnock was honored by the American Institute of Architects national association with its highest honor, which was referred to as a fellowship in the institute. Turnock received the first and only honorary member of the state association for the Indiana Society of Architects.

For some undetermined time Enock Hill Turnock had been ill with kidney troubles. He spent approximately seven months at the Mayo Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota before returning toFt. Wayne, Indiana. Enock Hill Turnock and his wife returned to Ft. Wayne to live with his wife’s two sisters. Enock Hill Turnock passed away with kidney trouble approximately two months after returning home from the Mayo Hospital.

Enoch Hill Turnock designed many upscale residential homes, finer buildings, churches and businesses in Chicago, IL; Elkhart, IN; and surrounding cities. An extensive list of structures credited to E. Hill Turnock as well as a listing of all structures believed to be designed by Turnock, but not verified, can found at the Robert B. Beardsley Arts Reference Library at Ruthmere Museum in Elkhart, Indiana.

Following is a list of notable properties created by Enoch Hill Turnock.

Brewster Apartment, Chicago, IL. Formerly known as Lincoln Park Palace.Built in 1893, this building was constructed with dark masonry walls gave way to a light-airily constructed interior. Spacious cast-iron stairways, open elevator cages, glass blocks imbedded in walkways and a massive skylight created a light and airy interior.

Ruthmere Mansion, Elkhart, IN. Formerly Albert and Elizabeth Beardsley ResidenceBuilt in 1910, this three story mansion built in Beaux Art style is Elkhart’s most prominent historical residence. Refurbished in the early 1970’s, the Ruthmere Mansion is now open to the public as a museum home.

Havilah Beardsley Memorial, Elkhart, IN. Located a short distance from the former Beardsley Residence is a monument designed by E. Hill Turnock and dedicated to Havilah Beardsley, the areas first doctor. Turnock’s influence is easily recognized by the large stone flower bowls which border the monument.

Ruthmere

Background

Ruthmere is located along the scenic St. Joseph River in Elkhart, Indiana. The architect for this home was E. Hill Turnock. Turnock was commissioned by Albert and Elizabeth Beardsley in 1908 to design this home. The Beardsleys named this home in memory of their only child, Ruth, who died at age seven months. "Mere” reflects the Latin root "maris" and refers to the home's proximity to water. The mansion was a place of business, family, political and social gatherings until the deaths of the Beardsleys in 1924. Robert Beardsley of The Beardsley Foundation purchased the mansion in 1967 with the main goal of restoring it to its original beauty in order to create a museum for the community. Restoration took place between 1969 and 1973 when the mansion was made available to the public. The property was placed on The National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The Beardsley Avenue Historc District was established several years later.

Architectural Design and Decor

Turnock designed this home in the Beaux Arts architectural style with Prairie School accents. The buff colored Belden brick used on the exterior came from Ohio and the limestone was from Bedford, Indiana. The many carved quoins on the outside of the mansion were in the shape of pomegranates, which showed signs of wealth and prosperity. The covered entrance is supported by square brick pillars crested with the letter “B” etched in the stone to represent the Beardsley family.
When entering the mansion, visitors are greeted with heat blowing from vents located along each step of the main stairwell to provide warmth. French doors open up to the balustrade marble piazza and a protective cover greet guests as they arrived. This main hallway area was used for music and entertainment, with the key point of interest being the Choralcelo, which is a combination piano player and organ. When it is playing, the piano can be heard in the foyer but the organ is heard in the library. The organ pipes were installed in the basement and played through ducts located in the library. While the organ is playing in the library, the piano is set to play in the foyer. The sound resonates throughout the hallway and plays music of the era in which the Beardsleys lived.

On the main level are the French drawing room, the library and the dining room with an adjacent butler’s pantry. The drawing room was a formal room where guests were greeted. There is a hand painted mural, Aurora Greets the Dawn, on the ceiling by Albert Stoyer of Detroit. Above the fireplace is a large mahogany pomegranate and book-matched Cuban mahogany is featured above the mantel.

The library is a less formal room but has the largest pomegranate above the marble fireplace which burned wood instead of gas, like all the other fireplaces in the home. Due to the wood-burning fireplace, this was the only room that had a sprinkler system (which was removed in 1967 when the fireplace became disabled). The ceiling is decorated with the initials of the four generations of the Beardsley men: Albert, Arthur, Walter and Robert.

The dining room also has a fireplace and a Louis Comfort Tiffany "Oriental Poppies" chandelier over the dining table. The room has a full width pocket sliding door with a glass window to allow privacy for the diners which allowed servants in the hallway to keep an eye on the progress of the meal and be prepared to serve the next course or clear off the previous course. A floor buzzer was also available for the hosts to use in summoning servants for assistance during meals. There are original pieces of silverware and china that belonged to the family on display in the built-in china cabinet. They were all pieces that matched the décor of the home and established the family's elegant style. Off to the side of the dining room was the butler’s pantry which was used to prepare the meals and to keep them warm in the cabinets that had heating vents. This room was between the dining room and the actual kitchen and has a metal door to help prevent fire from spreading into the dining room. A 12” masonry wall was also built into the home between the dining room and the butler’s pantry to prevent fire from spreading into the formal part of the home.
In the basement is a game room, which is currently used to hold small weddings. The game room was used for entertainment purposes where guests played poker and pinochle. In looking at pictures of how the room was originally set up, there were several tables with seating for four where these games were played. The stained glass windows that line the top of the east wall are replications of postcards from Italy, a place the Beardsley’s visited on many occasions. The windows provided natural light for the game room. The top halves of the walls in the room are covered in original red velvet while the bottom halves are covered in materials that looked like leather. Along the walls are glass light sconces that light the room. The entire home was wired for electricity, which was rare in those days. For music, the game room had organ music piped into it through a grill that played from the Choralcelo upstairs in the foyer along with a baby piano that stood in the corner.
The basement was connected to the rest of the mansion by a sophisticated call button service that allowed the family to summon their servants as needed. There is a hallway leading out of the game room that leads outside into the conservatory where Elizabeth was an enthusiastic gardener. The hallway has painted murals along the sides that have been preserved and not replaced over the years.

The second level of the mansion is where the bedrooms are located. On the stairwell leading from the main floor to this level are three windows in the Prairie School Design which did not follow the pattern of the rest of the home. In the hallway are a doll collection, agrandfather clock and art hanging on the walls and stairwell, including The Lost Profile, by William Morris Hunt, a portrait of the painters’ wife and a self-portrait by Samuel F. B. Morse. An important original limestone sculpture by Rodin, The Fallen Caryatid, as well as a bronze, stand in the stairhall. Elizabeth’s closet is also off the hallway and it still contains clothing and shoes from that era. The ceiling has an elaborate stained glass skylight. This window provided natural light as there was another glass window above it on the third floor. The second floor was equipped with a central vacuum system for the housekeeping staff to use and had a trunk elevator that came up from the main floor.

As was the custom during that generation, husband and wife kept separate bedrooms. The north bedroom was Albert’s room. This room has gold silk wall coverings, hand stenciled ceilings and an elaborate fireplace with a grate above it which aided in the air/heat circulation within the room. The closet has automatic lighting which turns on when the door is opened and a wall safe. In between Albert’s and Elizabeth’s room is a shared bathroom which was designed specifically for their use with an tub and shower facilities. The shower is a needle and shower bath, which is multi-directional and has a semi-circle metal rib cage inside of it that had little holes throughout the bars allowing the bather to have water showering on them at all times. There is a marble ledge around the room that had hand-stenciled paintings on it.

On the other south is Elizabeth’s room which is decorated in pink, her favorite color. This room was designed with a Victorian look with silk wall coverings. There is a delicate hand-painted design on the ceiling and the pink marble fireplace has very elaborate trim work. Along with the closet in the hallway, Elizabeth also had a narrow walk-in closet in the bedroom for easier access.

Across the hall from the Beardsley bedrooms are the third bedroom and the morning room. The third bedroom is the guest room and although it did not have a fireplace, there is one in the attached private bathroom. There is a window in this room which is used to add symmetry to the exterior of the home. The bedroom featured a twining rose design painted on the ceiling and an private closet. The morning room was used to plan the events of the day while having coffee or tea. This room had a plain white ceiling as the elaborate chandelier is sufficient as decoration. It has its own fireplace and a beautiful view of the St. Joseph River. Hanging on the wall in this room is a portrait of Ruth Beardsley, the daughter of Albert and Elizabeth, who died at seven months of age due to complications with water on the brain. The picture has a black frame surrounding it which indicates that it is a mourning piece.
There is a third level to the house which was mainly used for sitting purposes as the narrow room has a very low ceiling. This room was never used as a ballroom. Very rarely did guests and visitors enter the third floor.

Exterior Design

Outside the house is the courtyard and garage. The garage holds three cars of the era and originally housed the chauffeur upstairs. The upstairs is now a non-circulating library containing 1,800 volumes and periodicals on American domestic and landscape architecture and 19th and 20th century decorative arts. On the floor of the garage was a circular platform, or a turntable, that allowed the chauffer to pull the car in, and turn it around using the platform so that it was ready to drive out.

FactsThe family moved into the home in 1910 and lived there until 1924 when Albert and Elizabeth died within a few months of each other. The second inhabitants, nephew Arthur L. Beardsley, lived in the home with his family from 1924 to 1944, and the S.S. Deputy family were the last occupants from 1945 until 1967 when The Beardsley Foundation purchased it and restoration began to make it a museum.

Beaux-Arts

Ideology

Beaux-Arts is a French word that means “Fine Arts”. It was created based on ideas taught at the legendary École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. The origins of the school go back to 1648 when the "Académie des Beaux-Arts" was founded by Cardinal Mazarin, under the auspices of Louis XIV, to tutor favored students in various disciplines. Beaux-Arts style replicated classical antiquities preserving these romanticized forms and passing the style on to future generations. The style “Beaux-Arts” is above all the collective product of two and a half centuries of instruction under the authority, first of the “Académie Royale d'Architecture”, then following the Revolution, of the architectural section of the “Académie des Beaux-Arts" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecole_des_Beaux_Arts).

Period and Style

The Beaux-Arts style influenced US architecture in the period of 1885-1920. This style combined classical Greek and Roman architecture with Renaissance ideas; it was a favored style for grand public buildings and opulent mansions. (http://architecture.about.com/library/blgloss-beauxarts.htm). The movement began at The World's Columbian exposition of 1893 in Chicago. It was a triumph of academic classicism, and a major impetus for the “City Beautiful” movement. The City Beautiful movement was an avant-garde faction in North American architecture and urban planning.
This movement inspired planned suburbs with vast parks and wide manicured boulevards, lined with large showy houses. Many of America’s nouveau-riche industrialists, such as Cornelius and George Washington Vanderbilt II had accumulated a substantial fortune. Vanderbilt and his fellow entrepreneurs commissioned Hunt and others to design large houses, estates in Rhode Island, North Carolina and New Hampshire.

Two American Architects were leaders in the Beaux-Arts phenomena. American architecture, between the years of 1885 to 1925, took on a European influence; with the guidance of these architects, the American style managed to take on a persona of its own; beauty and utilitarian.

Notable American Beaux-Arts Architects and Features

Richard Morris Hunt (1827-1895)

Richard Morris Hunt was the first American architect to study at L’Ecole des Beaux-Arts; eventually, he was considered good enough to help supervise the work on the Louvre. He returned to the United States and founded the first American architectural school. Hunt was instrumental in advocating this new aesthetic and cultural perspective in architecture. Hunt’s first Beaux-Arts work was the Lenox Library in New York City (which is a cornerstone of the New York Public Library).http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard Morris Hunt

Henry Hobson Richardson (1838-1886) Even though Richardson’s career in architecture was cut short, when he died at the young age of 48, he left America a substantial legacy. Richardson, “designed churches, courthouses, train stations, libraries, and other important civic buildings”. He had a unique ability to manipulate large masses imaginatively into functionally minimal and distinct designs. He shed his historical influences, simplified his designs, and developed the first original style of American architecture, appropriately name Richardsonian. The “Trinity Church” in Boston is a fine example of his work, strong content and beautiful details. (http://architecture.about.com/od/greatarchitects/p/richardson.htm

Beaux-Arts Buildings and Features

(Vanderbilt Marble House has most of the features)• Massive and grandiose• Constructed with stone• Balustrades• Balconies• Columns• Cornices• Pilasters• Triangular Pediments• Lavish decorations: swags, medallions, flowers and shields• Grand stairway• Large arches• Symmetrical facadehttp://architecture.about.com/od/periodsstyles/ig/House-Styles/Beaux-Arts.htm

Beaux-Arts Buildings and Features

The last major American building with the grandeur of the Beaux-arts style below was the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House. It was completed in 1932. The architect that designed the building was by Arthur Brown, Jr. The Beaux-arts style began to be replaced by newer architectural styles. Henry Hobson Richardson, who eventually developed his own style, adopted a simple and minimalist style. The large houses in the Beaux-arts style became too big to manage and maintain. They also incurred higher property taxes. The Beaux-arts tradition in America, with its historical prototypes of ornament-charged symmetries of the 1893 Chicago Columbian Exposition, departed and evolved into the modernist work (Art Nouveau), with the first use of the glass curtain walls and the modern skyscraper construction.

References

* The Elkhart Truth Newspaper, July 22, 1972.
* http://www.ruthmere.org/newsletters/RuthmereFall.pdf., Ruthmere Foundation Inc., Newsletter, Fall 2006.
* Stephenson T. (1972, July 22). Ode of praise to E. Hill Turnock. A.M., The Elkhart Truth, pp. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
* Succumbs. (1926, July 6). E. Hill Turnock Dies at Age of 70. The Elkhart Truth, Obituary
* Turnock Committee. (1996). Discovering Turnock. Pamphlet from Ruthmere Museum
* Abraham Weaver: Standard History of Elkhart County (vol.2, pp.899-901 (Ind 977.281 W36)
* Funk, Laura. Docent, Ruthmere House Museum. August 10, 2007.
* http://www.ruthmere.org/architecture
* http://www.nationalhistoricalregister.com/IN/elkhart/state.html
* http://www.historicalandmarks.org/noted/LOM/lom05archive.html
* http://artseverywhere.com
* http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com
* http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/fa267/1893fair.html