Architecture
The house was conceived and built by Gerhard Sollner and his wife Louise. In the early 1950s, they had been flying over the Tallahassee area in their private plane, on their way from Palm Beach to Louise's family home in Tennessee, when Gerhard saw the property he chose to be their future home. Sollner was a commodities trader with seats on the New Orleans Cotton Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade. The family moved to Tallahassee in 1953, and the house was built during the year of 1955.
The Sollners sold their house to Dr. Charles K. Wall and his wife Margaret in 1957. Wall was a surgeon who had practiced in Thomasville, Georgia. The Walls were the primary residents of the house, living there from 1957 until 1987, when Margaret Wall died.
The Sollners sold their house to Dr. Charles K. Wall and his wife Margaret in 1957. Wall was a surgeon who had practiced in Thomasville, Georgia. The Walls were the primary residents of the house, living there from 1957 until 1987, when Margaret Wall died.
Archtectural History
Gerhard Sollner was a commodities broker with a seat on the New Orleans cotton board. The French Colonial Style was prominent in the New Orleans region, and on a trip to that city, the distinctive style with elevated verandahs could easily have caught his attention.
The house he built in Leon County was expressed as being his "dream house." Sollner hired Tallahassee architect Ernest Stidolph to plan the house; Gerald Gandy, also of Tallahasse, was the builder. The house took nearly a year to construct. Sollner and Stidolph went to the New Orleans area for a week to study and photograph French Colonial Style houses that Sollner found interesting in preparation for designing the house. The Sollner-Wall House retains its architectural integrity to a very high degree. The engineering and workmanship is substantial. The concrete block house has a slab and continuous wall foundation. A continuous steel beam that rests on a major concrete block basement pier supports the main floor. All original electrical, air control and plumbing systems are in working order.
The house incorporates features that define the French Colonial Style. It has a basic narrow rectangular form with a side-gable roof, and is only two rooms deep. On the interior, the east and west halves of the building are clearly delineated with pass-throughs only at the center and north and south ends. The house elements are symmetrically arranged. The façade is defined by the elevated "bel etage" main floor and incised verandah, accessed by the central broad and curving stairway with wrought iron railing. The spaces between the columns have cast concrete segmental arches that support the verandah. These arches help draw attention to the elevated verandah. The segmental arches are repeated on the east elevation for the lentils of the garage openings and large south windows. The central main entrance has an elliptical wooden pediment and half side-lights with colonial patterned leaded glass. Windows have double-hung, multi-paned sashes flanked with louvered wooden shutters. Large modillions are within the eaves on all elevations. Brick quoins are at the four corners of the house.
The house he built in Leon County was expressed as being his "dream house." Sollner hired Tallahassee architect Ernest Stidolph to plan the house; Gerald Gandy, also of Tallahasse, was the builder. The house took nearly a year to construct. Sollner and Stidolph went to the New Orleans area for a week to study and photograph French Colonial Style houses that Sollner found interesting in preparation for designing the house. The Sollner-Wall House retains its architectural integrity to a very high degree. The engineering and workmanship is substantial. The concrete block house has a slab and continuous wall foundation. A continuous steel beam that rests on a major concrete block basement pier supports the main floor. All original electrical, air control and plumbing systems are in working order.
The house incorporates features that define the French Colonial Style. It has a basic narrow rectangular form with a side-gable roof, and is only two rooms deep. On the interior, the east and west halves of the building are clearly delineated with pass-throughs only at the center and north and south ends. The house elements are symmetrically arranged. The façade is defined by the elevated "bel etage" main floor and incised verandah, accessed by the central broad and curving stairway with wrought iron railing. The spaces between the columns have cast concrete segmental arches that support the verandah. These arches help draw attention to the elevated verandah. The segmental arches are repeated on the east elevation for the lentils of the garage openings and large south windows. The central main entrance has an elliptical wooden pediment and half side-lights with colonial patterned leaded glass. Windows have double-hung, multi-paned sashes flanked with louvered wooden shutters. Large modillions are within the eaves on all elevations. Brick quoins are at the four corners of the house.