A Look At Grand Rapids’ ‘All Gas Wonder House’

In 1937 in East Grand Rapids, a house was built to demonstrate the modern age of gas living and thousands of folks lined up to see what the future held.

The House Was Inspired By The Century Of Progress Exhibition In Chicago

The Century of Progress Exhibition influenced architecture and modern living, and made 'houses of the future' all the rage throughout the country. Think of it like we might think of a high-tech house today, totally plugged into the internet, with automated lighting systems, and voice command appliances.

The "All Gas Wonder House" was built in 1937, just east of Ottawa Hills across the East Grand Rapids border an 1738 Alexander Avenue near Cambridge.

The home was specifically built to highlight the wonder of in home gas heating, lighting, cooking and even garbage incineration.

"People came in droves to see it," Pamela VanderPloeg told Rapid Growth Media about the home in 2018. "Naturally, all the appliances and systems were gas and it was quite revolutionary."

It Kicked Off A Trend Of Building Mid-Century Modern Homes In Grand Rapids

According to the Mid-Century Modern guide to West Michigan modern homes, the house was designed by a Chicago firm in collaboration with local architects Knecht, McCarthy & Theibaud, as a demonstration house. It was meant to sell more gas homes, which were expected to become in vogue during the late '30s and early '40s.

While more mid-century modern homes with gas were built, it quickly became apparent that gas could be supplied to existing homes, and the buzz wore off.

The home still stands today, and as far as I can tell, was last on the market in 2014. It's estimated current value ranges from $623,000 on Redfin to $888,700 on Realtor.com.

The house has 1990 square feet and features four bedrooms and three baths.