Garst House

The Garst House is locally renowned for both its architectural character and for the identity of one of its former occupants, Doris Shannon Garst (1894-1981), who wrote, for children, a series of biographies on famous westerners. Popular during the 1950’s, Garst’s books fell out of fashion (and out of print) by the 1990’s. Her house, however, endures, as a prime specimen of the early 20th-century “Craftsman bungalow” style. As a house type, the “bungalow” evolved from the economics of post-Victorian society, as demand materialized for smaller, more efficient homes that could be maintained by a middle-class family without a staff of increasinglyexpensive household servants. The bungalow, a house type imported from India to California (and, from thence, to the country as a whole) was often marketed as a “starter home,” and exhibited strong horizontals, broad roof overhangs, and a simple, compact porch. The bungalow was adopted as one standard house type by promoters of the “Craftsman” style of design—which emphasized materials thought of as “rustic”—such as cedar, stone, slate, and brick. In the Garst bungalow, this rustic aura is imparted by the short, battered brick piers at each end of the front facade, the exposed ends of the roof rafters, and the massive brick chimney, which dominates the west facade. The house was constructed by the Douglas contractor, Fred Cannon, who was especially skilled in masonry work, and was also a prominent bridge builder; other famous local buildings with brickwork by Cannon include the LaBonte Hotel and the Ashlar Lodge, both located in downtown Douglas. Cannon also constructed at least four other Craftsman-style homes in Douglas, including the Storey House, which is included on the tour.