Peter J. Weber House
The Peter J. Weber House (also known simply as "The Weber House") is a historical house and landmark in Riverside, California.[1] The house was designed and built by architect Peter J. Weber in the 1930s as a family residence and conceptual showcase of his creative work. The house is notable for its eclectic Depression-era design and its reliance on salvaged materials.
Elements of Design & Construction
Built between 1932 and 1938, the house features an abundance of recycled and reclaimed materials and finishes, ornate hand-carved details, and colorful decorated ceilings. Some ahead-of-their-time systems include a roof-mounted solar water heater enclosed by repurposed Model T windshields and seismic fittings in the basement to protect against earthquake damage, informed by Weber's early work with architects including John Galen Howard and Julia Morgan following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire.[2] Many of the house's design details were inspired by Weber's year-long honeymoon travels in Europe and North Africa, in particular Moorish, Spanish, and Tudor revival architecture. The house was initially designed to be expanded into a multi-bedroom private getaway for guests with a lookout tower, but Weber never finished the intended expansion. The house was surrounded by 8.8 acres of citrus, stone fruit, and nut trees and bordered a branch of the Gage Canal at its south end.
Saved from Demolition
In the early 1970s, the Webers moved away and their home was rented while they searched for buyers of their property, divided into four parcels. In 1980, Bob Kneisel[3] rented the house and began the work of restoration and archiving its history. Through his efforts along with Riverside’s Cultural Heritage Board, local advocacy group Old Riverside Foundation, and Alan Curl of the Riverside Metropolitan Museum, the house was recognized as Riverside City Landmark #52 in 1981. After the death of Peter J. Weber in 1983, the parcel containing the house was sold to Days Inn for redevelopment, who initially sought demolition or relocation of the house, but the Cultural Heritage Board determined the house must remain intact at its original location, so the hotel built their parking lot and swimming pool around it. It has since been restored[4] to much of its original condition and is available for tours.[5]
References
- ^ "Landmarks of the City of Riverside" (PDF). January 11, 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Solar water heaters in California, 1891--1930".
- ^ "Bungalow Heaven Origins". www.bungalowheaven.org. Retrieved 2022-11-04.
- ^ Fiske, Joanne (1986-07-01). "Saving this historic house is no easy job". The Press-Enterprise.
- ^ Allen, David (February 11, 2023). "Weber House in Riverside is a folk-art wonder worth hunting for". The Press-Enterprise.
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