Indiana's 'Jetsons' house saved ... maybe

The name said it all. It was the "House of Tomorrow," and in 1933 it was fantastical, its exterior basically a series of turrets stacked like hat boxes, or a wedding cake.

Its open floor plan was surrounded by walls of glass.

And the gadgetry! The House of Tomorrow had a garage door that could be opened with the push of a button, and in the kitchen an "iceless" refrigerator and a machine that could actually wash dishes and air conditioning. What?

Though it was built three decades before "The Jetsons" first aired on TV, the house had a built-in airplane hangar large enough for "a small-sized ship for family use," according to a promotional brochure.

But that was 83 years ago. Family air ships failed to catch on, and the House of Tomorrow, neglected and pounded by the elements, fell into disrepair. It has been vacant since the 1990s, and by now is in dangerously sad shape. Indiana Landmarks, the historic preservation group, for years has tried to draw attention to its plight by placing it on its annual "10 Most Endangered" list: first in 1993, and most recently in 2012.

But nothing happened, and the House of Tomorrow's tomorrow looked bleak.

Now, some help has arrived. The National Trust for Historic Preservation announced it would designate the house as a "National Treasure," the official NTHP label reserved for significant structures in dire straits. Also, Indiana Landmarks pledged to raise $2 million to restore the house.

The house is in the heart of what may be the weirdest and most wonderful neighborhood in Indiana. It is one of five unusual houses designed and built as exhibits for the 1933 Chicago World's Fair. After the fair, they were relocated to the sand dunes in Porter County, on the shore of Lake Michigan. It was a small, high-end subdivision.

The National Park Service acquired the houses in 1966 as part of an expansion of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. The inhabitants could stay by signing 30 year leases. Four of the houses remain occupied by long-term renters who've been diligent about maintaining the properties. Only the House of Tomorrow, by far the most far-out of the bunch, languishes.

The National Parks Service owns the House of Tomorrow, but as the park service is facing a $12 billion maintenance backlog, according to a Landmarks news release, "creative new approaches to maintaining cultural resources in our nation's parks are essential."

Enter Landmarks. If it can raise $2 million and restore the house, it would act as a real estate agent and try to lease the house as a single family residence for periods of between two and five years. How much it would cost, Tina Connor, a Landmarks vice president, could not say.

The "National Treasure" designation does not come with cash, but NTHP would provide apprentice restorers with expertise at fixing up modernist houses at reduced cost, Connor said. More broadly, the national group can raise awareness of this odd and little known Indiana beach house. "They can also help us with fundraising, and they can help attract national manufacturers to help us," she said.

Connor said Landmarks hopes to start work on the house in the spring.

Call IndyStar reporter Will Higgins at (317) 444-6043. Follow him on Twitter: @WillRHiggins.