Lembke House

{{short description|Historic house in New Mexico, United States}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox NRHP

| name = Lembke House

| nrhp_type =

| designated_other1 = N.M. State Register of Cultural Properties

| designated_other1_date = August 27, 1976{{cite web | title=State and National Register Spreadsheet | url=http://www.nmhistoricpreservation.org/assets/files/registers1/SR%20NR%20Excel%20Database%20v%20June%202019.xlsx | publisher=New Mexico Department of Historic Preservation | accessdate=May 29, 2020 | format=Excel }}

| designated_other1_number = 467

| designated_other1_num_position = bottom

| image = Lembke House, 2014.jpg

| caption = The house in 2014

| location = 312 Laguna Blvd. SW,
Albuquerque, New Mexico

| coordinates = {{coord|35|5|18|N|106|40|5|W|display=inline,title}}

| locmapin = New Mexico#USA

| built = 1937

| architect = Townes & Funk

| architecture = International

| added = November 25, 1980

| area =

| refnum = 80002541{{NRISref|version=2010a}}

}}

The Lembke House is a historic house in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and one of the best examples of residential International Style architecture in the city.{{cite web | url={{NRHP url|id=80002541}} | title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Lembke House | publisher=National Park Service | date=November 25, 1980}} with {{NRHP url | id=80002541 | photos=y | title=five accompanying photos}} It was built in 1937{{cite journal |title=New Lembke Home |journal=Albuquerque Progress |date=November 1937 |volume=4 |issue=9 |page=7 |url=https://nmdc.unm.edu/digital/collection/abclibrary/id/4144 |accessdate=June 5, 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Brewer |first1=Steve |title=Living in the Light |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52822840/albuquerque-journal/ |accessdate=June 5, 2020 |work=Albuquerque Journal |date=January 26, 1993 |via=Newspapers.com}} by Charles H. Lembke (1889–1989), a local construction company owner who was also Chairman of the City Commission during the time he occupied the house.{{cite news |last1=Penrose |first1=Steve |title=Services Announced for Charles Lembke |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52822887/albuquerque-journal/ |accessdate=June 5, 2020 |work=Albuquerque Journal |date=August 15, 1989 |via=Newspapers.com}} It was one of the earlier houses in the Huning Castle neighborhood, an area of large homes that was mostly developed between the 1930s and 1950s.{{cite book | last1=Dewitt | first1=Susan | title=Historic Albuquerque Today: An Overview Survey of Historic Buildings and Districts | date=1978 | publisher=Historic Landmarks Survey of Albuquerque | location=Albuquerque | pages=105–106 | edition=2}} The house was probably constructed as a speculative venture as Lembke lived there for less than a year before selling it.{{cite news |title=House Is Sold |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52824777/albuquerque-journal/ |accessdate=June 5, 2020 |work=Albuquerque Journal |date=September 11, 1938 |via=Newspapers.com}} The house was added to the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties in 1976 and the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

The house is two stories high with a basement and is constructed from reinforced concrete. The defining feature of the building is a rounded corner with three vertical bands of glass brick extending almost the full height of the house which is oriented toward the adjacent street corner. The interior of this feature contains an entry atrium and curving stairwell. The house also has a semi-cylindrical protrusion on the rear elevation, but is otherwise mostly rectangular in plan. The interior includes living, dining, and study space on the ground floor along with maid's quarters, and three bedrooms and two exterior balconies on the second floor. The basement contains a den, hobby room, and utilities. Metal casement windows, steel railings, and bird's eye maple flooring are used throughout. The house was designed by Townes & Funk, an architecture firm based in Amarillo, Texas.