The home at 19410 Lucerne Drive was constructed in 1923 by Charles Albert Lindsey, owner of the C.A. Lindsey Company, which sold silk automotive interiors for the burgeoning luxury automobile industry. This residence was later home to Lindsay’s son-in-law, Robert Pauli Scherer, inventor of the rotary die encapsulation machine, which revolutionized the production of soft gelatin capsules used in the pharmaceutical industry.
In 1949, the home was purchased by King David Shwayder, the son the founder of the Shwayder Trunk Manufacturing Company, later known as the Samsonite Corporation. Shwayder took over as Chief Executive Officer when his father retired in 1962. Around that time, Shwayder signed an exclusive agreement with the Danish LEGO Group to market and distribute the plastic toy bricks for the first time in the United States and Canada.
The home features several elements typical of Tudor-style architecture: an exterior consisting of English bond brickwork with limestone accents; four-centered arches reflected in the screened porch, living room fireplace, and front door; and the original slate roof. However, unlike many Tudor homes from the period, the interior enjoys generous yet comfortable living spaces, a gracious and open floor plan, and abundant natural light due to the several large banks of windows throughout the house. The home also retains numerous original features, including a polished marble foyer, narrow-plank hardwood flooring, ornate plaster molding, steel casement windows, and a decorative plaster ceiling.
Beginning in March of 2013, the current owners began extensive renovations, upgrading the home with modern plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and audio/visual systems.The home was also updated with a new kitchen, master suite, and outdoor terrace. In addition, the current owners restored the plaster molding and limestone fireplace surround in the living room, which was removed in a 1960’s “modernization.” Despite the extensive improvements, the home retains the elegance and beauty of the original 1923 structure.