This weekend’s third annual Gainesville Modern Weekend saw an increase in event participants.
Gainesville Modern and the UF Historical Preservation Program, along with Alachua Habitat for Humanity, hosted the event, which raised about $1,000 for the nonprofit. The event was meant to preserve and promote mid-century modern architecture — houses made in the mid-1940s to ‘60s that feature walls of glass and low-hanging roofs, said Gainesville Modern Executive Director David Forest.
“It encourages people to, instead of custom building a home out of prefabricated materials, to maybe think about history as something that applies to their own lives,” said Jessica Taylor, a member of the UF Historic Preservation Program.
Mallory O'Connor shows his husband, John, parts of screened patio as part of the Gainesville Modern Weekend house tour.
Constructed with walls of glass, 33-foot-long wood beams and redwood, the most notable house was designed by former UF architecture professor Harry Merritt.
Although Forest said the house is considered a modern architectural gem, the 3105 SW Fifth Court building has only ever been a home for Nicholas and Elayne Cassisi.
The Merritt house was where the couple studied through medical school. It’s where they raised three children, welcomed their grandchildren and, as Gainesville residents of 43 years, plan to spend the rest of their lives.
Elayne said that sometimes she gets tired of the upkeep, but whenever anything happens, her husband is always out there doing his best to mend the situation.
“Anything to keep her here,” Nick Cassisi said, smiling with his arm around his wife.
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 3/23/2015 under the headline “GNV programs host mid-century architecture showcase”]
The 3105 SW 5th Court house was one of the six mid-century modern homes featured on the Gainesville Modern Weekend tour on Saturday. Each house had contractors and/or the homeowners on-site to answer questions.
