327 Arbor Way
c. 1959
Ossian and Kyle MacKenzie
Is anybody home? Ossian was called to Penn State to become its first Dean of the College of Business Administration. He and Kyle became friends with the Hajjars and asked Bill to design them a home. Kyle asked that Hajjar provide a spacious area for the convenient entertaining of fairly large groups, an area to showcase Ossian's prized collection of roses, and a separate apartment area that could be used for hosting overnight guests, as well as possibly being a rental unit during their retirement.
Kyle specified though that she didn't want any of his weird designs (referring to homes on Osmond that she nicknamed The Windmill, The Barn, The Oriental House, and Black Beauty). You can judge the result for yourself, but it was wonderfully livable for his clients.
However, the house does present a rather cold shoulder to passersby. Recently the courtyard wall had to be reconstructed, and the current owner asked the neighbors if they would like it taken down. Unanimously, they agreed that the house was a neighborhood icon and they would miss the wall if it were changed.
