HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT)– The house pictured above on Big Cove Road may seem ordinary, but it has seen its fair share of stars.

It was built for engineer and champion of space exploration Wernher Von Braun in 1958.

The US Space and Rocket Center purchased it when Von Braun and his family moved to Washington, D.C. in 1970, and a few years later it was sold again to another family.

Now, it’s back on the market.

Realtor Julie Lockwood of Van Valkenburgh and Wilkinson Realtors describes the home as mid-century modern.

“It’s very Utilitarian,” she said about Von Braun’s German influences on the home’s design. “There’s not a lot of frills.”

But there are a lot of vaulted ceilings and big windows, allowing for a lot of natural light to fill the rooms.

It also comes with a large office– Von Braun’s former office.

“You can tell he had a lot of books,” said Lockwood, commenting on the large bookshelf area on one wall.

Ed Buckbee, former US Space and Rocket Center CEO, can confirm Von Braun was indeed a reader. He visited the Von Braun home many times while the family lived there.

“It was crammed full of books and documents,” said Buckbee. ” He was always bringing things home. His briefcase never left the office without being stuffed… He went through all that on weekends.”

Many may wonder what he worked on in that office.

Buckbee shed some light on this: “His [coworkers] would send him a one-pager on Friday on what they had done, and he would read that on the weekend, and mark it up and give it back on Monday. So he spent a lot of time working in there on business.”

Von Braun also left behind a remnant of the Cold War Era in the backyard.

Lockwood showed WHNT News 19 around Von Braun’s fallout shelter.

“It’s kind of similar to a tornado shelter,” she commented, “but this [wall] is much thicker.”

The space inside is surprisingly large, enough room for a family.

The home carries such historic appeal that Lockwood said she couldn’t ignore it.

“Who wouldn’t want to sell Von Braun’s house?” she exclaimed. “I mean, if you appreciate history and Huntsville and just the tradition… it’s a rare opportunity. Just to be able to walk in the house, to see the house plans, to see his name on the house plans.”

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Quelle: WHNT19