Monthly Archives: December 2011

Levittown, Then and Now

20 Tuesday Dec 2011

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Taking a road trip from Chicago, we visit Long Island’s Levittown, a then-revolutionary mass-produced postwar suburb.  Interesting perspective from CNN.  The main interviewee is a woman who, with her husband, purchased their first – and last – home in the newly-developed community with a $58 down payment.  The woman, Polly Dwyer, shares her perspective on a lifetime in what was called an “all-alike place.”

The article, here.

Photos of Levittown as a new community:

Photos of few houses that are currently for sale.  At the low end, a Cape Cod-style home that looks as though it has been untouched since it was built in 1949.  Asking price: $215,000.

$215,000 buys 1BR, 1BA

At the higher end, another Cape Cod that has seen substantial renovation.

$469,000 buys 5BR, 4BA

Holiday Treasure Houses

19 Monday Dec 2011

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Right now, there are lots of treasure houses glowing all over the Chicago area.  Some are adorned with safe, tasteful little white lights.  Some have a menorah shining in the window.  Others are decorated with so many lights, they can probably be seen from Jupiter.

Here, the owner has not only decorated his home, but also his treasure, his boat.  In this west-suburban community, homeowners go all out during the season.  They decorate anything that does not move.  Every form of yard art, from tin soldiers, snowmen, Santas, snow globes and dinosaurs (now there’s a Christmas symbol for you) is on display from Thanksgiving through January.  The decorating has become a bit more subtle in recent years, whether that’s due to a change in homeowners, or the bad economy.  However, it is still quite evident that people who live there take a lot of joy in making the season bright.

Life is full of treasures, and I hope that you, dear readers (both of you), enjoy light, happiness and peace in this season.

The Little House That Could

19 Monday Dec 2011

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I am making a significant departure from the typical homes featured on this blog. Today, it is time to pay tribute to a tiny house in my town. It has two bedrooms, one bath and a one-car garage. The home was built in the mid-1950s. It has been for sale or for rent several times over the years.  Many homes that were larger and more substantial have fallen to the developers, and every time I’d see a “for sale” sign in the yard, I would think the house would soon bite the dust.  For one reason or another, this little house remains, a little time capsule unto itself. It was recently purchased, treated to a fresh coat of paint and received some interior updates.

In these days of mega McMansions, it is nice to know that in a neighborhood full of three-story lot eaters, a family can still live in, and be happy in, one little house.

A Long-Gone Treasure: Villa Turicum

11 Sunday Dec 2011

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I just stumbled upon the most wonderful web site dedicated to the legendary Villa Turicum, the Lake Forest estate built for Harold McCormick and his wife, Edith Rockefeller McCormick.  The 44-room Italianate villa was constructed between 1908 and 1918.  Spurning an altogether different design by Frank Lloyd Wright, the McCormicks turned to Charles Platt, an East Coast architect with a strong Italian Renaissance design vocabulary.  The McCormicks spent untold millions on the property, the home and its astounding landscaping.  However, Mrs. McCormick was said to have spent perhaps one night in the home.  Left to decay after Mrs. McCormick’s death, the villa was a victim of the wrecking ball in 1956.

The web site, a glorious tribute to a masterpiece, is here.

Just one photo, and the web site will show you the rest.

Villa Turicum, the Restored Watercourse

David Adler’s Eclectic House-on-Hill

01 Thursday Dec 2011

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We’ll take a road trip from Chicago to Hillsborough, California, where David Adler designed his 1930 masterpiece, “House-on-Hill” for Celia Tobin Clark, an heiress to the Hibernia Bank fortune.  Her husband was the owner of the Montana Mining Company. The home is located on the lyrically named Verballee Lane.

If you look at this gallery of photos from a 2016 real estate listing, you’ll see that Adler didn’t seem to exhibit loyalty to any particular architectural period when designing this house.  The Tudor influence is certainly present in the exterior, but the interior is a fantastic amalgam of styles.  Somehow, it all works.  He probably had a marvelous time in designing the home in the glorious San Francisco area.  At one time, the 35,000-square-foot home rested upon 400 acres.  In 2012, the estate was offered for sale for $29 million. As of 2016, the price was lowered to $23 million.

This post is dedicated to the memory of my beloved friend Bunky Cushing for his enduring support, as well as his assistance in locating this vintage photo of this estate.

David Adler’s House-on-Hill, Hillsborough, California, circa 1930