You’ll spot the Bailey Allinder House just behind these leafy trees-it’s a cozy, single-story sandstone house with an L-shape and a sturdy stone retaining wall in front.
Now, imagine the year is about 1948, and the air smells fresh after a summer rain. Park Hill is changing, and right in front of you, the Bailey Allinder House stands out with its warm sandstone and fieldstone walls, somewhere between the “let’s keep it simple” Minimal Traditional style of earlier years and the breezy, low-slung Ranch homes starting to pop up. Look closely at its stonework and you can almost sense the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright-think natural materials blending with the landscape. Built just after World War II, this house became a home thanks to Bailey Allinder, a hardworking auto mechanic, and his wife, a talented piano teacher. It’s as if there was always a gentle tug of the everyday here: the sound of jazz melodies drifting from a piano, the smell of engine oil, and maybe, the odd slip on the stone walk when Bailey’s hands were greasy. Since 2002, this clever mix of styles and stories has been recognized on the National Register of Historic Places-because who says only castles or mansions get all the credit?
