1012 N Dearborn St
Chicago, IL 60610, USA

William Waller House (Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Arts) - National Register of Historic Places

Statement of Significance:

The Dunlap Family Residence is a beautiful home, erected just after the great fir e of 1871, at the comer of Dearborn Avenue and Oak Street.

Mr. Dunlap had been twice married. His first wife, whom he married in 1858, was Miss Elle n M. Pond of Boston. Of this marriage, there were two daughters, Mrs. A. L. Hopkins, of New York and Mrs. Dr. F. W. Payne, of Boston. A beautiful memorial winddown was make in London, erected by her children as a memento of Mrs. Dunlap and adorns St. James Cathedral, Chicago.

The second Mrs. Dunlap was Miss Emma Blanche Rice whom he married i n Jul y 1872. Miss Rice's Father was the Honorable James B. Rice, twice mayor of Chicago and congressman from Illinoi s for one term. For this reason, as well as the great activities of Mr. Dunlap their home was a center of social, cultural, and political activity.

In the line of Charity, he was in 1886 president of the Chicago Nursery and Half Orphan Asylum while Mrs. Dunlap had taken on herself the support of one of the kindergartens of the city. Be it said of George Lincoln Dunlap that from the outset of his career in Chicago that no social, civic or cultural event was complete without his presence. William B. Ogden was indeed a close friend and associate as it was through Mr. Ogden that the Chicago Northwestern Railroad was financed.

In the following is rapidly sketched the professional and business occupations of thirty years of active life, which yielded an ample return of both fame and fortune. Brie f notice will be made of other enterprises which engaged his attention.

Mr. Dunlap founded Blaney Lodge 271 A. F. and A. M. of Free Masons.

With the union club he had been prominently connected and had been upon its board of directors. Among the gentlemen of refinement and culture who enjoy the association of this elegant Centre of social life Mr. Dunlap was one of the most valued. His artistic tastes have been employed in the preparation of several musical festivals, which gave great pleasure to the lovers of music in Chicago and attracted numbers from al l parts of the Northwest. He also interested himself in literary interest s and was at one time a manager of the Chicago Literary Association. He lost a great and valuable library in the great fir e of 1871.

After the fire he joined forces to rebuild Chicago and restore its rpaidly developing heritage. A noteworthy achievement was to rebuild the Chicago Historical Society along with Lev i Leiter, John Crerar, Samuel Nickerson, William B. Ogden, George F. Ramsey, Charles B. Farwell John Ryerson, Byron Laflin Smith, John Wentworth, Thomas Hoyne, and Marshall Field. These great Chicagoans were not only Mr. Dunlap's social acquaintances but close personal friends as well. The following may be joined to the above composite of friends: G. W. Adams, W. F. Blair, J. C. Coonley, Richard T. Crance, W. S. Corsy, Wirt Dexter, J. F. Eames, N. D. Fairbanks, L. J. Gage, Charles D. Hammill, W. G. Hibbard, Edson and Stanley Keith, Potter Palmer, Franklin McVeagh, A. C. McClurg, George Pullman, A. A. Sprague, William Bross and of Course Cyrus B. McCormick. With the following list of Chicago's builders Mr. Dunlap's close personal friends must come to a close; however, it all adds reinforcement to the earlier claim of no affair being complete without his presence. I t may be further stated that there wasn't a board or committee worthwhile socially, civically or culturally measurable that Mr. Dunlap wasn't its chairman, office r or member.

George L. Dunlap, in the course of his active and diversified life had shown himself to be an accomplished civil engineer, competent manager of railway affairs, a successful businessman, and a useful and genial member of social circles. Here are brought int o combination science, tact, prudence, integrity, and courtesy, each in its way a superior excellence.

Mr. Dunlap was a native of the state of Maine, born at Brunswick i n 1828. He was a son of John and Mary (Robinson) Dunlap, long residents of that place. His father died when he was but two years old, and his mother died seven years later. Though an orphan, he was not friendless. He was adopted int o the family of Mr. Belknap of Portland, the great rail - road contractor and constructor, and it was under his tutelage that the boy Goerge earl y evinced a remarkable aptitude and taste for rail - roading, and here his mind received the germ of that thorough knowledge of his chosen profession which he was destined to command.

His education after its first stages were passed, was received at the Gorham Academy, where he developed a talent for mathematics and engineering, and devoted especial attention to studies in those lines. He gained knowledge of the art of surveying by practice in the field, with chain and compass.

At the age of twenty he engaged in practical engineering in the service of the Boston and Main Railroad, i n which occupation he continued for three years, and then entered the service of the New York and Eri e Railroad Company as engineer, where he remained four years.

In 1855 his services were sought by the Galena and Chicago Union Rail - road Company, then constructing the first link in the great Chicago and Northwestern Railroad system. He took the position of assistant engineer and held it util the completion of the road-something over three years. From that time the growth of the Chicago and Northwestern railway was of a character unparalleled in railroad history. Among those who were gathered into the great family are: the Galena and Chicago Union, the Chicago and Nebraska, the Kenosha and Rockford, the Peninsular, the Chicago and Milwaukee, the Winona and St. Peter's, and the Lacrosse, Trempealeau and Prescott Railways.

The Chicago and Northwestern Railway of eighty miles in 1856, had grown to the dimensions of twelve hundred and fifty-six miles li n 1867, the greatest railway corporation in the world. The practical operation of this great network of railways had always been under his control. He originated and put in successful operation day by day as the needs of the property under his charge developed, a system of administration, unique in some particulars, that places him at the very head of his profession.

From that day to this the biography of George L. Dunlap and history of the Chicago and Northwestern Railway are identified so closely with each other as to defy separation.

The Chicago and Northwestern Railway of that time (1856) and the rail - road bearing that name today stand in the same relation to each other that the child does to the man, and that man is a giant among men. A total of eighty miles, indifferently built and poorly equipped was all of which this germ of a great corporation was the master.

In October 1858 he received the appointment of General Superintendent. At that time the road had been completed to Janesville, ninety miles from Chicago, and also from Minnesota junction.to Oshkosh making a total of one hundred and thirty-six miles of road but leaving a gap of fifty-Seven miles between Janesville and Minnesota Junction. In the summer of 1859, the gap was fille d the broken link of fifty-seven miles being supplied i n ninety days great y to the disgust of the Milwaukee Railroad interest s which saw with dismay a great railway artery leading direct from the heart of the riches t agricultural portion of Wisconsin to Chicago. Mr. Dunlap administered with skill and success for fourteen years with the las t two as that of General Manager for the Northwestern railroad.

The property at 1012 North Dearborn Street was constructed in 1874 by William Waller. Waller continued to occupy the property until 1880 when it was sold to Mary A. H. Ferry, who resided here with her husband James for a number of years. The property changed hands until 1921 when it was purchased by the current owners, the Palette and Chisel Academy.



THE DUNLAP MANSION IS SIGNIFICANT ARCHITECTURALLY, -HISTORICALLY AND Culturally. THE ARCHITECTURAL EXCELLENCE IS DESCRIBED ON THE PREVIOUS PAGE. HISTORICALLY, THE BUILDING AND ITS FIRST OWNER HAVEA UNIQUE PLACE IN THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF CHICAGO. AFTER THE 1871 FIRE GEORGE LINCOLN DUNLAP, GENERAL MANAGER OF THE CHICAGO NORTHWESTERN RAILROAD AND SON-IN-LAW OF MAYOR RICE, PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN REBUILDING THE CITY. HE BUILT THE FIRST HOUSE IN THIS AREA AS AN ACT OF FAITH. THE HOME NOT ONLY SERVED AS AN ANCHOR IN THE REBUILDING OF THE NORTH SIDE BUT ALSO PROVIDED A MEETING PLACE FOR OTHER CIVIC MINDED CITIZENS TO JOIN IN THIS EFFORT. THE CHICAGO HISTORICAL SOCIETY, THE Y.M.C.A.AND MANY OTHER CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS WERE SPAWNED HERE. THE POTTER PALMERS, FIELDS, MC CORMACKS, MC CLURG, PULLMANS ARE BUT A FEW OF HIS COLLIAGUES. IN ADDITION TO HIS OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS, HE WAS ALSO AN ARTIST. IT WAS THEREFORE MORE THAN FITTING THAT HIS HOME SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADAPTED TO WHAT IS NOW ONE OF THE NATIONS OLDEST ART CLUBS "THE PALETTE AND CHISEL ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS" WHICH WAS FORMED IN 1895 WITH THE SPONSORSHIP OF LORAIDO TAFT. THE CLUB MOVED INTO THE DUNLAP MANSION IN 1921 AND OFFERED A WORKSHOP/GUILD FORM OF ART EXPERIENCE TO SERIOUS AND COMPETENT ARTISTS. ONLY MINIMAL STRUCTURAL CHANGES WERE NECESSARY AND TODAY THE MAIN FLOOR IS USED AS A GALLERY AND ENTERTAINMENT AREA. THE UPSTAIRS AREA IS USED AS INDIVIDUAL STUDIOS, WITH THE THIRD FLOOR BALLROOM CONVERTED TO A LARGE GROUP STUDIO- FOR LIVE MODELS. WITH THE PROGRESSIVE DESTRUCTION OF THE FINE MANSIONS OF NORTH DEARBORN STREET IT BECOMES INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT TO PRESERVE THE Stately STRUCTURES OF THE PAST OF WHICH THIS IS A NOTABLE ONE WITH A SIGNIFICANT ARTISTIC USE.


Photographer: Norton Rock