WELLFLEET – A lease for the historic Kohlberg property has been signed by the National Park Service (NPS) and the Cape Cod Modern House Trust (CCMHT).
Located in Wellfleet and owned by the National Park Service, the Kohlberg House is one of many mid-20th century modern residences on the Cape built between 1929 and 1979. CCMHT will preserve and interpret the house through scholar-in-residence programs and architectural studies. The lease is for 10 years.
In 2012 the CCMHT entered into a 10-year lease for the historic Hatch and Weidlinger properties, and in 2009 CCMHT signed a 20-year lease for the historic Kugel/Gips House.
Through a combination of town funds and donations of money, materials, and labor, CCMHT brought the deteriorating Kugel/Gips, Hatch, and Weidlinger properties into good condition early in each lease term.
“The Cape Cod Modern House Trust has a keen interest in Modern Movement architecture, and has been a leader in both research and education on the subject on the Outer Cape, regionally, and internationally,” said Superintendent Brian Carlstrom.
“We’re fortunate to have a lessee with both the passion and the demonstrated ability to preserve and share these historic properties with the public.”
The Kohlberg property is among 12, mid-20th century modern residences owned by Cape Cod National Seashore and eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
The properties are associated with the massive increase in single-family seasonal housing on Cape Cod following World War II, a trend that added momentum to efforts to preserve a portion of the area as Cape Cod National Seashore.
Many of the houses were designed, and in some cases lived in by the leaders of the Modern Movement: Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer, Eero Saarinen, and Serge Chermayeff.
The Kohlberg House was built in 1960 by Luther Crowell. The house possesses several characteristics of Modern Movement architecture, including its careful placement in the environment and its use of glass to achieve sweeping views.
By TIM DUNN, CapeCod.com News Center
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