Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Wildwood Builders-Shurcliff -Brookview

Arthur Shurcliff
"In 1917, one of Fort Wayne's largest suburban developers, Wildwood Builders worked with several investors to create the Brookview Improvement Company, to develop the area just sough of Centlivre Park Addition.  With the leadership of Lee Ninde and Fred Shoaff, they hired Boston landscape architect Arthur A. Shurcliff to design a plan for the area.  Shurlock had worked for Wildwood builders previously on the Wildwood Park and Lafayette Place suburban developments, and had completed some work for the Fort Wayne Parks Department as well.  Shurcliff worked with Ninde and the Wildwood Builders engineer, Francis H. Bulot, as well as a Boston firm that specialized in storm and sanitary sewer engineering - Metcalfe & Eddy- to develop the plat for Brookview .  Shurcliff successfully highlighted the natural beauty of the Spy Run and the rolling topography, while creating two parallel automobile parkways that provided convenient and pleasant automobiles travel to and from the development.  Shurcliff also successfully completed the proposed section of State Boulevard that ha been propose but not completely defined by George Kessler's citywide plan for parks and boulevards.  Lots sold quickly, and many homes were built before 1940, primarily in the period revival styles of the area.

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