Welcome to the Bad Architecture Podcast Compendium!

Here you'll find reference photos and sources for each episode.

S1|E1: Designed for death

Sarah and Erin get down and dirty with this episode's theme: Designed for Death

The two cover Dr. Linda Hazzard's Starvation Heights in Olalla, Washington, and the murder castle of H.H. Holmes in Chicago, Illinois. They wrap the episode up with a "badass" example of the theme, but we're not ruining that surprise.

Episode recorded 4/13/2021. Produced by Mietball Productions.

Episode 1: Sources

Starvation Heights:

"Starvation Heights" by Gregg Olsen

Wikipedia

Murder Castle:

The Chicagoist articles by Lauren Whalen

WBEZ article on Englewood by John R. Schmidt

allthatsinteresting.com

history.com

Architect Magazine by Selin Ashaboglu

Biography.com

Harpers Magazine article by John Barlow Martin

CBS Chicago Murder Castle HULU Series article

Crime Museum.com

Indystar.com

Dusty Old Thing

Inside the Incredibly Twisted Murder Hotel of H.H. Holmes by Annie Garau

Wikipedia

Kyiv Crematorium:

https://cherylhoward.com

Atlas Obscura

S1|E2: Crazy Collections

Sarah and Erin sink their teeth into sites that are a bit singular (and maybe a bit overly enthusiastic?) in their celebration of certain items for Episode 2: Crazy Collections.

We’ve got the ventriloquist dummies of Vent Haven in Fort Mitchell, KY, that are giving Sarah nightmares, and an abundance of corn (and corny jokes) at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD. To wrap it all up, Erin shares a badass site that’s really the sh*t.

Episode recorded 11/9/2021. Mixed up by Mietball Productions.

S1|E3: Hotels from Hell

Sarah and Erin take you on a trip to two of the most unsettling and spine-chilling places for vacationers to check into for Episode 3: Hotels From Hell!

First, they head west to La-La Land to check out the historic and horrifying Cecil Hotel. Then they head to the small town of Tonopah, Nevada, where you can sleep surrounded by clowns and next door to a cemetery at the Clown Motel. Sarah then shares a badass site that will make you go gaga for Googie.

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode does contain references to m*rder and su*cide, so please listen with care.

Episode recorded 12/15/2021. Mixed up by Mietball Productions

S1|E4: The Future is Now!

No need to fo find a 💥Flux Capacitor💥 because in Episode 4 the Future is NOW!

Sarah and Erin head back to the future by bringing you to Spaceship Earth, the Monsanto House of the Future, and then to Xanadu (and no, not the musical on rollerskates 🛼)

While we usually have a pretty distinct separation between bad and badass, Erin blurs the line this time with her selections.

Episode recorded 3/11/2023. Mixed up by Mietball Productions

Episode Sources

EPCOT's Spaceship Earth:

WDW News Today

“Walt Disney World Reveals Timeline of EPCOT History Ahead of 40th Anniversary”

https://wdwnt.com/2022/09/walt-disney-world-reveals-timeline-of-epcot-history-ahead-of-40th-anniversary/

All Ears

“The Storied History Behind EPCOT’s Spaceship Earth”

https://allears.net/2020/12/10/the-storied-history-behind-epcots-spaceship-earth/

Inside the Magic

“The Secret History of Disney Rides: Spaceship Earth”

https://insidethemagic.net/2021/06/spaceship-earth-ad1mmb/

Disney Parks Blog

“The Scientist Who Inspired The Name of Epcot’s ‘Spaceship Earth’”

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/09/the-scientist-who-inspired-the-name-of-epcots-spaceship-earth/

Wander Wisdom

“The History of Disney World's Spaceship Earth”

https://wanderwisdom.com/travel-destinations/The-History-of-Spaceship-Earth

Disney Dining

“The Details of Spaceship Earth”

https://www.disneydining.com/the-details-of-spaceship-earth-ck1/

Weird Disney

“Some of Spaceship Earth’s Most Famous Animatronics Were Once U.S. Presidents”

https://weirddisney.com/oddities/some-of-spaceship-earths-most-famous-animatronics-were-once-u-s-presidents/

Disney Tourist Blog

“Spaceship Earth Vintage Photos”

https://www.disneytouristblog.com/spaceship-earth-vintage-photos/

The Portalist

“How Ray Bradbury Helped Walt Disney Make Magic”

https://theportalist.com/ray-bradbury-walt-disney

The Mouselets

“History of the Original Spaceship Earth Corporate Sponsors”

https://themouselets.com/spaceship-earth-sponsors

Britannica

“Epcot”

https://www.britannica.com/place/Epcot

Best Life

“34 Disney World Secrets Only Insiders Know”

https://bestlifeonline.com/whimsical-disney-world-facts/

Screen Rant

“Disney Parks: 10 Weird Things Epcot Hides In Plain Sight”

https://screenrant.com/disney-parks-weird-things-epcot-hides-plain-sight/#epcot-means

The Disney Food Blog

“Creepy Stories from EPCOT”

https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2021/07/15/creepy-stories-from-epcot/

Disney Lists

“10 Facts and Secrets About Spaceship Earth at Disney’s Epcot”

https://www.disneylists.com/2020/09/10-facts-secrets-spaceship-earth-disneys-epcot-2/

Monsanto House of the Future:

"Monsanto House of the Future"

Yesterland.com

"Monsanto House of the Future"

iconichouses.org

"Inside 1957's House of the Future"

mentalfloss.com

"Fascinating Photos Show the Plastic 1960's 'House of the Future'

www.news.com.au

Xanadu: The Home of Tomorrow:

"Xanadu" by Roy Mason

https://architectuul.com/search/query:roy+mason

My Photos and Memories

S1|E5 & E6 Part 1 & 2: Bad Eats

We know you're hungry for it, so here it finally is: Bad Architecture Episode 5 & 6: Bad Eats! These stories are so disturbingly delicious, we have to serve them up to you in two courses.

In the first part, Erin takes us down the wild rabbit hole (and a few underground tunnels) of the Lemp Mansion in St. Louis, Missouri.

Sarah brings you back to the height of the 90's eatertainment craze with a trip to the Rainforest Cafe-A Wild Place to Shop and Eat (TM), where getting screamed at by animatronic animals and misted with water (all while eating bland, overpriced food) was supposed to be fun?

Erin then serves up the sweetest dessert with an Art Nouveau immersion in Paris. She also surprises Sarah with a treat (again!) from the famed establishment..only if Sarah can open it.

Episode recorded 4/15/2023. Mixed up by Mietball Productions

Episode Sources

The Lemp Mansion

"The Haunted Lemp Mansion in St. Louis" Legends of America https://www.legendsofamerica.com

The Lemp Mansion Website https://www. lempmansion.com

"The Fascinating Story About the Lemp Family, the Lemp Brewery, and Haunted Mansion" by Cathy Coombs. https://www.medium.com

"The Last Lemp" by Jeannette Cooperman St. Louis Magazine, May 15, 2015

Wikipedia

Check out all of the Lemp articles at St. Louis Magazine- they have so many I had to limit the research at one point!

Rainforest Cafe

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/70870/11-things-you-might-not-know-about-rainforest-cafe

https://www.mashed.com/227989/the-untold-truth-of-rainforest-cafe/

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-true-story-of-the-rainforest-cafe-is-even-wilder-than-you-thought

https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/rainforest-cafe-still-exists/

https://www.rainforestcafe.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainforest_Cafe

https://www.eater.com/twin-cities/23598371/rainforest-cafe-history-appreciation-mall-of-america

https://schusslercreative.com/concepts/rainforest-cafe/

https://www.adweek.com/galleycat/what-was-rainforest-caf-owner-steven-schusslers-secret-to-raising-capital-insanity/15085

https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2020/05/15/steve-schussler-loses-fight-lake-minnetetonka.html

https://www.nrn.com/operations/rainforest-cafe-creator-opens-boathouse-disney

https://www.executivespeakers.com/speaker/steven-schussler

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Fisherman-s-Wharf-dining-gets-tropical-treatment-3055433.php

https://www.landrysinc.com/franchise/rainforest-cafe-franchise

https://medium.com/founders-hustle/this-founder-wildly-spent-400k-to-close-investors-ac9c05003b98

Maxim's de Paris

Maxim's website: https://maxims-de-paris.com

Tripadvisor and Yelp for those reviews

Maxim's Shop: www.maxims-shop.com

The New York Times, "Maxim's is Dropped from the 1978 Michelin Guide", March 7, 1978

S1|E7: Take Me to Church

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate Episode 7 of Bad Architecture –Take Me To Church. Can we get an AMEN!?

First, Sarah whisks us away to a small fishing village in Taiwan to step inside the biggest glass slipper the world has ever seen. And one with a sad story more fitting for a Grimm fairytale.

Then Erin blows Sarah away with the Inflatable Church industry. You read that right…Inflatable. Church. If visions of bounce houses with flying buttresses are dancing in your head, you’re not far off.

To wrap the episode, Sarah shares a Bad Ass church that will make you drop to your knees in pure rapture. But you’ll have to listen to find out what this heaven-sent structure is.

Episode recorded 5/21/2023. Mixed up by Mietball Productions

Episode Sources

The Glass Slipper Church of Taiwan

"Shocking Truth Behind Taiwan's High-Heel Church Revealed" Taiwan News, 2021

"Blackfoot Disease in Taiwan: a 30-Year Follow-up Study" WP Tseng, June 1989, PubMed

"Cinderella's Shoe Becomres Giant, Glass Church in Taiwan" The San Diego Union Tribune, July 25, 2016

"A Contolled Retrospective Study of Blackfoot Disease, an Endemic Peripheral Gangrene Disease in Taiwan" I-Cheng CHT, R. Quentin Blackwell, American Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 88, July 1, 1968

Wikipedia

"In Taiwan, There's a Church Shaped Like a Stiletto Shoe" Culture Trip

"Taiwan Builds Glass-Slipper Church for Fairytale Wedding Photographs" Dan Howarth, Dezeen, Jan. 15, 2016

"This 55-Foot-Tall Glass 'Church' in Taiwan Was Built to Attract Women" Kristin Tablang, Forbes, Feb. 2, 2016

"Town Builds Church Shaped Like a Giant High Heel for Women" Jillian Steinhauer, Hyperallergic, Jan 13, 2016

"Taiwan Now Has a Giant, Shiny, Shoe-Shaped Church" Laura Wagner, NPR, Jan 15, 2016

"The Giant Glass Slipper Church of Taiwan" Heather Chen and Grace Tsoi, BBC, Jan 15, 2016

"The High-Heel Church" Atlas Obscura

Inflatable Church

www.inflatablechurch.com

youtube-Baxtervision

Borgund-Stave Church

"Borgund Stave Church: A Testament to Norway's Cultural and Architectural Heritage" ArchEyes, July 13, 2016

stavechurch.com

Wikipedia

"Churches of Norway" chapelinthehills.org

"The Spectacular Borgund Stave Church" David Nikel, Life in Norway, Nov. 22, 2018

Borgund Stave Church SpottingHistory.com

Borgund Stave Church Visit Norway

S1|E8: Boo Architecture

Boo Architecture

We’re coming at you with our first-ever Halloween Special: Boo Architecture!

Erin and Sarah each share their favorite haunted houses from their hometowns, so expect architectural thrills and ghostly chills in this bonus Bad Architecture episode!

Erin takes us to Frankfort, Illinois to a home haunted by ghosts, bad reviews from a medium, and a very questionable design choice. Sarah then takes us to the Brae Loch Inn in Cazenovia, NY where guests -both living and dead- can enjoy a sweet, Scottish-inspired getaway. No badass this episode, just all boo. 👻

***Trigger Warning: There are mentions of SA and violence in this episode, so please listen with care.***

Episode recorded October 2023. Mixed up by Mietball Productions

Episode Sources

The Stellwagen House

Frankfort Historical Society

Frankfort Public Library - Research Librarian Jill

Village of Frankfort

"'It'll give you some nightmares': Filming wraps on ghost movie shot in Frankfort's 'haunted' house" Donna Vickory, Chicago Tribune, Sep. 15, 2018

"Girl Vets 207 Center RD Frankfort IL House" Tinley Park Mom, Oct. 30, 2021

"Former IL Bordello Haunted by Two Girls Featured in Netflix Movie" 97zokonline.com

"For Sale: Suburban Mansion, Ghost Possibly Included" Brad Edwards, CBS2 News, Oct. 30, 2015

"The Story Behind Historic Frankfort's Haunted House" Anna Schier, patch.com Dec. 5, 2012

The Brae Loch Inn

Brae Loch Inn Website, braelochinn.com.

“10 Haunted Inns Along The Haunted History Trail Of New York.” Sera Parris, TheTravel.com, 2022

1940 Census. Ancestry.com

“Brae Loch celebrates 75th anniversary, honors Scottish poet Robert Burns.” Kate Hill, The Eagle News, 2021

“Brae Loch Inn - Cazenovia NY Haunted Place.” NewYorkHauntedHouses.com

1975 Building Structure Inventory Form - Brae Loch Inn. cris.parks.ny.gov

“Burr House.” TheClio.com, 2018

Cazenovia Republican, Wednesday, February 10, 1869. Page 1

“Cazenovia's Brae Loch Inn turns 70, with its founding clan still in charge.” Don Cazentre, Syracuse.com, 2016

“A General History of the Burr Family.” Charles Todd Burr, 1878

“Paranormal activity interrupts NewsChannel 9 interview at haunted hotel.” Andrew Donovan, LocalSyr.Com, 2015

The Cazenovia Republican, October 13, 1949. Page 1

Cazenovia Republican, November 23, 1983. Page 19

The Cazenovia Republican, March 24, 1927. Page 3

The Cazenovia Republican, November 16, 1933. Page 5

The Cazenovia Republican, May 1, 1947. Page 13

The Cazenovia Republican, December 1, 1949. Page 13

The Cazenovia Republican, December 8, 1949. Page 13

S1|E9: Spite Houses

Lets get spiteful today. Were talking Spite Houses. Spite houses are structures built purely, well, out of spite, built to piss off, wall off, block off, and pretty much tell someone else to fuck off.

First, Sarah takes us to Alameda, California, to learn about the Alameda Spite House. Then Erin brings us to a building called "The Grudge" (appropriate) in Beirut, Lebanon. Sarah then gives us a truly badass building and story that is a true testament to the exact opposite of spite, love.

***Trigger Warning: There are mentions of suicide in this episode, so please listen with care.***

Episode recorded February 2023. Mixed up by Mietball Productions

Episode Sources

The Alameda Spite House

Census records from 1910

Google Maps

Sanborn Maps

David E. Early, “Three Bay Area houses worthy of gawkers.” Mercury News, Bay Area News Group, November 25, 2015. https://www.mercurynews.com/2015/11/25/iconic-bay-area-houses-so-special-they-live-full-rich-fascinating-lives-on-their-own/

“Alameda Spite House, Alameda, California.” Atlas Obscura, August 8, 2016.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/alameda-spite-house

“Alameda’s Spite House.” Admiral’s Cove

https://www.admiralscovealameda.com/blog/alameda-spite-house

SA Rogers, “Spite Houses: 12 Structures Built Just to Annoy People.” Web Urbanist.

https://weburbanist.com/2014/03/31/spite-houses-12-structures-built-just-to-annoy-people/

“Alameda, California: The Spite House.” Roadside America.

https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/24853

Jordan Guinn, “Architecture meets subversion in Alameda’sspite house.” SFGATE, May 11, 2018. https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Architecture-meets-subversion-in-Alameda-s-12908705.php

Kathy Martinolich, “Spite Houses, Ranked by Spite-ness.” The Hairpin, December 16, 2013.

https://medium.com/the-hairpin/spite-houses-ranked-by-spite-ness-d7f21b76e494

Joe Parzanese, “The Spite House.” Weird California, September 21, 2017.

http://www.weirdca.com/location.php?location=824

“Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Alameda, Alameda County, California” .Library of Congress

https://www.loc.gov/resource/g4364am.g4364am_g003741897/?sp=71&st=image&r=0.451,0.771,0.281,0.131,0

“Alameda History.”Alameda Museum.

https://alamedamuseum.org/news-and-resources/history/#:~:text=Alameda%2C%20a%202%2C200%20acre%20peninsula,between%20his%20four%20surviving%20sons

Ryan Mitchell, “Tiny Spite Houses With Big Personality.” The Tiny Life, September 29, 2022.

https://thetinylife.com/tiny-spite-houses/

John Metcalfe, “A Brief History of Houses Built Out of Spite.” Bloomberg, July 14, 2014.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-07-14/a-brief-history-of-houses-built-out-of-spite

“8 Homes Built Out of Spite.” The Twisted Sifter, October 13, 2011.

https://twistedsifter.com/2011/10/homes-built-out-of-spite/

The Grudge

The Insider

Independent, "Built out of spite, Lebanon's skinniest building now among most valued real estate", Shweta Sharma

Bored Panda, "This Man Built Probably the Thinnest Houst in Beirut to Block His Brother's View to the Sea", Andzelika

Daily Mail, "Lebanon's skinniest building dubbed 'The Grudge' because it was installed by a spiteful brother to block his sibling's sea view becomes one of Beirut's most valuable properties", Inigo Alexander

The Mystery Castle

http://www.mymysterycastle.com/

https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/vandals-cause-extensive-damage-at-mystery-castle-near-south-mountain-suspects-wanted

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2014/11/06/history-phoenixs-three-castles/18594973/

Life Magazine article from 1948

https://roadtrippers.com/magazine/mystery-castle-phoenix/

S1|E10: Bridges of WTF County

Ooooooooh do we have a bridge (or two) to sell ya in Episode 10 of Bad Architecture…The Bridges of WTF County!

First, we travel to the Puget Sound with Sarah who tells the twisted and twisting tale of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, AKA Galloping Gertie, in Tacoma, Washington. Then Erin shares the very dark downfall of the Truesdell Bridge Disaster in Dixon, Illinois. If traveling over bridges already gives you the shakes and shivers, you will absolutely hate this episode.

For the Bad Ass portion of the show, Sarah gives a much-needed palate cleanser with a bridge that has stood the test of time in stunning style. What is it? You’ll just have to listen to find out!

***Trigger Warning: Death is mentioned in this episode, so please listen with care.***

Big thanks to Mietball Productions for mixing up these episodes!

Episode Sources

The Tacoma Narrows Bridge

https://www.britannica.com/technology/suspension-bridge

https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/tnbhistory/1940-bridge.htm

https://www.weather.gov/arx/nov111940weather

https://practical.engineering/blog/2019/3/9/why-the-tacoma-narrows-bridge-collapsed

https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2017/05/24/science-busts-the-biggest-myth-ever-about-why-bridges-collapse/?sh=798feceb1f4c

https://practical.engineering/blog/2019/3/9/why-the-tacoma-narrows-bridge-collapsed

https://people.math.harvard.edu/archive/21b_fall_03/tacoma/index.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacoma,_Washington

https://historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=maine/deerisle/

The Truesdell Dixon Bridge

Bridge Failure in Dixon, Illinois, by Frank Griggs, Jr., Dist. M.ASCE, D.Eng., P.E., P.L.S., Structure Magazine

National Register of Historic Places, Tilton Island Park Bridge

150 Years Later, Dixon Bridge Tragedy Among Nation's Worst, AP News, May 2023

1873 Truesdale Bridge Collapse in Lee County, Illinois, Geneology Trails

New Historic Landmark Commemorates Dixon Bridge Disaster of 1873, Destin Howard, May 7, 2023, WREX.com

Wikipedia

The 33 Bridge (Siosepol Bridge)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Si-o-se-pol

https://www.visitiran.ir/attraction/si-o-se-pol

https://www.tappersia.com/sio-se-pol-bridge-33-bridges/

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/x307709

https://www.tappersia.com/isfahan/

https://study.com/academy/lesson/safavid-architecture-history-facts-examples.html

https://en.unesco.org/silkroad/content/isfahan

https://www.discoverwalks.com/blog/iran/top-10-remarquable-facts-about-si-o-se-pol-bridge/

S1|E11: Rich People Are Weird

They say money can’t buy happiness…but it can fund some pretty wild endeavors.

In this episode of Bad Architecture, Rich People are Weird, we share some of the strangest spendings on structures we could find. 🤑

First up, Erin takes you to the rocky coast of Gloucester, Massachusetts, where a crazy rich inventor built a massive, medieval-style castle with one humongous organ. (GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER!) Then Sarah brings you deep down to the Las Vegas underground to explore a lavish bunker built by the former CEO of Avon. (You know how we love a good bunker!)

Erin wraps the episode with a badass building so rich in family history and delightful design, you’ll be swooning. What is it? You’ll have to listen to the episode to find out!

Big thanks to Mietball Productions for mixing up these episodes!

Episode Sources

The Hammond Castle

hammondcastle.org

wikipedia

Tripadvisor

Expedia

The Underground House

Roy, Susan. “Bomboozled: How the U.S. Government Misled Itself and Its People into Believing They Could Survive a Nuclear Attack.” Pointed Leaf Press, 2011.

https://www.businessinsider.com/las-vegas-house-with-doomsday-bunker-for-sale-2020-6. Business Insider, June 23, 2024

“Muralist to Feature Work at New York World’s Fair.” Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, March 9, 1964.

https://www.deseret.com/1996/5/28/19245120/hidden-luxuries-in-a-fallout-shelter/. Associated Press, May 28, 1996.

https://www.roomonethousand.com/underground-dream-world. Castillo, Greg. Room One Thousand, Issue 8.

https://www.messynessychic.com/2015/01/23/take-a-tour-of-a-1964-underground-fallout-home/. Messy Nessy Chic, November 18, 2015.

https://flashbak.com/chez-armageddon-the-1970s-cold-war-bunker-deep-below-las-vegas-404820/. Flashbak, August 26, 2018.

https://www.reviewjournal.com/homes/real-estate-millions/famous-underground-las-vegas-house-to-open-to-public-photos/. Las Vegas Review-Journal, March 30, 2018.

The Hegeler Carus Mansion

www.hegelercarus.org

The Hegeler Carus Foundation

Wikipedia

Historic Structures

SAH Archipedia

www.enjoyillinois.com

S1|E12: Boo Architecture 2

We’re back with a 🎃Halloween Special!🎃

Expect a healthy helping of spooky with this serving of Bad Architecture: Boo Architecture 2!

Sarah brings us to the British Isles to Edinburgh, where you go below the city and back in time to the sealed-off 16th-century streets of Mary King’s Close. Yes, we know Sarah is a bit obsessed with underground sites, (she’s getting help) but this one has a haunted DOLL ROOM!

Then Erin takes us to a mid-west mansion built by a barbed wire baron in Joliet, Illinois. This sensational Second Empire structure comes complete with stories of spirits and even a curse! Welcome to Scutt Mansion, AKA Barb Villa!

No badass for this episode, just all boo. 🏚️👻

Recorded 10/14/2024 and mixed up by Mietball Productions.