Guam Historic Properties Inventory (GHPI) Data Form: Mafnas House

Craft, Cacilie

A Guam Historic Properties Inventory Data Form for the Mafnas House. Description: "The Mafnas House was built in 1963. Construction was initiated just after Typhoon Karen, along with several other concrete houses in the village. The focus at this time was on building a structure that was modern in feel and resistant to typhoon-strength winds." Statement of Significance: "The Mafnas House represents a basic pill-box construction design prevalent in Guam in the aftermath of Typhoon Karen. The pill-box design represents both typhoon and earthquake resistant architecture. Unlike numerous similar pill-box buildings of this period in southern Guam, the Mafnas House, according to the homeowner, is in its original condition and without any structural additions. The house is in decent condition and well-maintained, retaining very good integrity of location, setting, design, material, workmanship, feeling and association. Although there are likely better examples of pill-box pre-fabricated houses, such as those built by the Kaiser Company in northern Guam, this is the only unmodified example identified in south Guam during the present architectural history survey. Given the scarcity of unmodified pill-box homes in southern Guam, the Mafnas is potentially eligible for the NRHP under Criterion as a good example of pre-fabricated concrete building construction immediately following Typhoon Karen in southern Guam. The period of significance is the 1963 date of construction." Project funding was provided in part by a Historic Preservation Fund grant to the Guam Historic Preservation Office, Guam Department of Parks and Recreation, administered by the Pacific West Regional Office, National Park Service, U.S. Department of Interior (grant number 66-13-51960).

Guam Historic Properties Inventory (GHPI) Data Form: Mafnas House

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