Haines Shoe House
See the full list of unusual building here.
Haines Shoe House is a house shaped like a shoe, located in Hellam Township, Pennsylvania, USA. It is a classic example of American ‘roadside’, mimetic architecture.
Successful shoe salesman Mahlon Haines (a.k.a. the ‘Shoe Wizard’) gave one of his work boots to an architect with the instruction “build me a house like this”.
Built between 1948 and 1949, the stucco-covered timber-frame building with stained glass windows reaches a height of 7.6 m (25 ft). The toe contains a living room, while the heel contains the kitchen. Two bedrooms are in the ankle, and an ice cream shop was located in the in-step.
Upon completion, Haines lived in the house before moving over the street and making it available as a vacation spot for newlywed couples.
When Haines died in 1962, the house was given to his employees who sold it to a new owner who continued to sell ice cream to passers-by and tourists from the shop. Two decades later, the shoe house had started to deteriorate and was renovated in 1987 having been bought by Haines’ granddaughter. In 2004, new owners repainted the shoe as part of a ‘Save a Landmark’ PR campaign and opened the house up to public tours.
It has subsequently become a guest house.
You can find out more at: https://www.hainesshoehouse.com/
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
Featured articles and news
Designing for neurodiversity: driving change for the better
Accessible inclusive design translated into reality.
RIBA detailed response to Grenfell Inquiry Phase 2 report
Briefing notes following its initial 4 September response.
Approved Document B: Fire Safety from March
Current and future changes with historical documentation.
A New Year, a new look for BSRIA
As phase 1 of the BSRIA Living Laboratory is completed.
A must-attend event for the architecture industry.
Caroline Gumble to step down as CIOB CEO in 2025
After transformative tenure take on a leadership role within the engineering sector.
RIDDOR and the provisional statistics for 2023 / 2024
Work related deaths; over 50 percent from constructuon and 50 percent recorded as fall from height.
Solar PV company fined for health and safety failure
Work at height not properly planned and failure to take suitable steps to prevent a fall.
The term value when assessing the viability of developments
Consultation on the compulsory purchase process, compensation reforms and potential removal of hope value.
Trees are part of the history of how places have developed.
The increasing costs of repair and remediation
Highlighted by regulator of social housing, as acceleration plan continues.
Free topic guide on mould in buildings
The new TG 26/2024 published by BSRIA.
Greater control for LAs over private rental selective licensing
A brief explanation of changes with the NRLA response.
Practice costs for architectural technologists
Salary standards and working out what you’re worth.
The Health and Safety Executive at 50
And over 200 years of Operational Safety and Health.
Thermal imaging surveys a brief intro
Thermal Imaging of Buildings; a pocket guide BG 72/2017.