The Stover House (II)
Robert and Kay Stover
557 Glenn Road
c. 1956
Bob Stover came to State College as a graduate student in the Department of Psychology at Penn State. Upon graduation, he joined the faculty and became a colleague of Joseph Grosslight, one of the three veterans for which Hallock had designed neighboring homes on Glenn Road. The Stovers admired these dwellings and other Hallock designs and selected him to be their architect for their steep and rocky lot near the Grosslights.
Bob left Penn State to become Vice-President of Corporate Development and Long-Range Planning at HRB-Singer (now a facility of Raytheon Corporation; brother-in-law Robert Riddle was also a vice-president there). He then became an independent consultant. Kay taught in adult education and was active in Junior and Senior Women’s Clubs. She served the clubs as president and vice-president.
The house has four levels, with the living room having a full-length, cantilevered balcony overlooking the valley below. Other levels were staggered in order to fit the hillside.
The fireplace holds its own with the window wall and bookcase.
In a change from his usual style, Hallock wraps the hearth around one side of the chimney.
Built-in shelves are opposite the window wall.
The kitchen is behind the shelves and the dining area is to the far left.
The living room area is on the topmost of four levels.
The covered, full-length, cantilevered deck provides mid-day shade and a place to catch breezes.
It’s like living in the treetops with the living space on the top level.
The height also gives a great feeling of privacy with foliage screening the many nearby houses.
The house differs considerably from its Glenn Road neighbors.
The garage is mostly buried in the front and clerestory windows for the kitchen rise in the center.
White walls, ceiling, cabinets, and fan reflect the light from the high clerestory windows in the kitchen (also great vents).
The house was built during the “Cold War” period with Russia and originally had a radiation fallout shelter, now a bath.
The sliding door to nowhere was probably intentional. Comparable doors cost less than windows, so were often used.
Stairs to other levels are just inside the foyer; the hall past the coat closet leads to the bedroom area.