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Chicago Treasure Houses

~ An admiration of historic, noteworthy and simply beautiful homes in the Chicago area

Chicago Treasure Houses

Monthly Archives: January 2012

Sullivan and Elmslie Want You

04 Wednesday Jan 2012

Posted by M.K.E. in Uncategorized

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277 gatesby, 277 gatesby riverside, elmslie, IL, prairie style architecture, progressive architecture, purcell, purcell and elmslie, riverside

to restore their extraordinary home in Riverside, Illinois. Louis Sullivan, known primarily as the mentor of Frank Lloyd Wright, designed masterful buildings in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  He teamed up with George Grant Elmslie  in 1907 to design a 28-acre estate in Riverside for Henry Babson.  See photos of the estate, its furnishings and landscaping here, courtesy of organica.org.

Although the main house on the Babson property has long since been demolished, some of the estate’s service buildings remain, including this one, which was converted to a private home.  The residence is currently for sale for $599,000.  The home needs a bit of updating, but wow – what an opportunity.

277 Gatesby Road Exterior

See the exquisite detail on the garage. This unit is shared with the owner of the home across the courtyard.

The door to this bedroom once stepped out to a greenhouse on the property.

See life through the home’s abundant art glass windows.

For a video of the home, as well as more photos, see this blog from Chicago magazine’s “Deal Estate” columnist Dennis Rodkin.

George Grant Elmslie partnered with William Gray Purcell from 1907 through 1921.  Purcell and Elmslie were among the founders of the progressive architecture movement in the early 1900s. Their work is often compared to that of Frank Lloyd Wright.  Although some of their most significant commissions are no longer extant, you can still visit masterpieces such as Winona, Minnesota’s 1912 Merchants National Bank building.

 

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The Wright Stuff in Riverside

04 Wednesday Jan 2012

Posted by M.K.E. in Uncategorized

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300 scottswood, 300 scottswood road, avery coonley, avery coonley house, frank lloyd wright, frank lloyd wright coonley, IL, riverside

When people think of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Chicago masterpieces, they invariably consider the suburb of Oak Park, where the architect lived for many years and also maintained his studio. However, not far away is Riverside, the beautiful historic community whose streets were laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted.

Wright designed a home at 300 Scottswood Road in 1907-1908 for Mr. and Mrs. Avery Coonley, a forward-thinking, philanthropic couple. Over the years, the Coonley estate has undergone many changes. It was almost demolished by a developer in the 1950s, but preservationists stepped in to claim it. The house no longer exists in its original state; it has been divided into pieces.

The Coonley home’s 3,000-square-foot bedroom wing is now a separate house. The residence, originally priced at $1.3 million in 2012, sold in 2015 for $355,000. According to a 2013 story in Curbed Chicago, the home suffered water damage and foundation cracks over the years, hence its modest selling price. The home’s respective owners have kept the interiors faithful to Wright’s inspiration, as you’ll see in the photos below, circa 2012.

Exterior of 300 Scottswood, Riverside

The kitchen successfully combines original elements with new appliances, lighting and cabinetry

Art glass windows adorn the the living room’s walls.

The light-filled bedroom encourages serenity.

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