2015 Google street view image of the houseThe Swastika House (aka The Schmeiser House) was built in 1911 for Davis pioneer Theodore "TG" Schmeiser. The use of the swastika in the brickwork of the chimney predates the Nazis' bastardized use of the symbol; prior to their use, it was simply a good luck insignia in cultures ranging from Hinduism to Buddhism to Native American. Benign swastika use in architecture can also be seen on the exterior walls of the William Workman Orcutt home in the West Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles. Aside from its incorporation into the built environment, it was absorbed into sports in the case of the Davis Swastikas, a team in existence in the region until 1909.
Other noteworthy features of the home include Schmeiser's innovative fire-fighting system which consisted of a large backyard cistern connected to a water tank in the attic, water hoses connecting to each floor of the home. At one time, the system even included a roof-mounted cistern. Incidentally, Schmeiser founded the town's first water company in 1910.
