Our Favorite Mod Blogs of 2018

by Lynne Rostochil

It’s hard to believe that we’re at the end of another year, but here we are and that means it’s time to take a look back and recap our favorite Mod Blogs of 2018.  Here we go!

1964: The Year of the Sonic Boom

This post was certainly one of the most popular Mod Blogs of the year and fostered all kinds of memories and conversation.  Over six very noisy months in 1964, Oklahoma City heard the loud sonic booms of passing jets a whopping eight times a day.  The tests were conducted to see how people and structures would fare if SSTs were to go into mass production.  Well, they didn’t fare well and SST planes were never constructed on the scale some people hoped for.

Roadside Oklahoma Through the Eyes of John Margolies

Photographer, author, and road tripper extraordinaire, John Margolies, drove all over Oklahoma through the years documenting the Sooner State’s once vast collection of vernacular architecture and signs, and we devoted three whole Mod Blogs to his work.  It was good stuff.

From Mies to Oklahoma Mod: The Life and Legacy of Robert Lawton Jones

Sadly, 2018 saw the passing of Tulsa architect, Robert Lawton Jones, whose firm, Murray Jones Murray, was responsible for creating some of the state’s most memorable and award winning modern architecture.  We were very lucky that he decided to settle and practice right here in Oklahoma.

Modern Details: Caudill Rowlett Scott and Warr Built Homes

Some of the metro area’s very first modern homes were designed by Caudill Rowlett Scott and built in Warr Acres and near Mayfair Shopping Center.  This Mod Blog takes a look at the frenzy these post-war homes stirred and how they have held up over the ensuing years.

The 2018 Oklahoma Modernism Weekend Mod Home Tour

Every year, we bite our nails hoping to find homes for the Mod Home Tour that match the caliber of homes on previous tours, and we definitely hit the ball out of the park for the 2018 tour.  We enjoyed a magical afternoon touring mod homes, both old and new, and ending with snacks and stories about Bruce Goff at the Pollock-Warriner House.  It was a great day … and just wait to hear about the amazing homes we are lining up for the 2019 tour!  They will not disappoint.

Travelling Through Time Along 23rd Street

Over four installments and using vintage photos from The History Center’s vast archive, we travelled from the western edges of NW 23rd street near Putnam City West High School all the way to the eastern-most part of the street.  It was a fun trip and we all learned a lot about the people, businesses, and buildings that have called this storied road home over the decades.

On the Market: A Bright and Airy Mod Overlooking the City

Without a doubt, this was one of the most popular Mod Blogs we’ve ever written about a home for sale and with good reason — it’s a gem!  With all of that positive response, the owner was able to quickly find a new buyer who loved the place as much as we all did and it’s in great hands now, I’m happy to say.

Oklahoma’s Existing Route 66 Signs

When I went looking for a list of Oklahoma’s Route 66 signs and came up empty handed, I decided to compile one on my own and share it will the Okie Mod Squad.  I just hope all of these signs remain for years to come and more great neon is added to Oklahoma’s Mother Road.

On the Market: A Gentle House to Solace the Soul

We featured a lot of homes for sale this year on the Mod Blog, but none was as completely original as this Forest Park treasure designed by Raymond Carter.  Luckily, it has a new owner who plans to thoughtfully remodel and restore the place and who will hopefully enjoy it as much as the original owners have.

A History of Oklahoma’s Mod Domes

This two-part series saw us travelling all around the state profiling the plethora of modern domed buildings that can be found throughout Oklahoma.  There are a bunch of them, I’m happy to say, with new ones being built all of the time.

 

That’s it for the retrospective.  We have a lot of interesting and informative Mod Blogs in store for you in 2019, so stay tuned.