1800 S Prairie Ave
Chicago, IL 60616, USA

John J. Glessner House - National Register of Historic Places

Statement of Significance:

The architect of the Glessner House, Henry Hobson Richardson, is always included in the great triumvirate of American architects, Richardson, Wright, and Sullivan. The Glessner House is an excellent example of Richardson is architectural idiom, and is particularly significant because of its advanced development of the plan around a central court. The building was a definite point of departure from 19th century thinking and influenced the planning and design of a great many members of what is today referred to as the Chicago School of Architecture.

The building was acquired in 1966 by the Chicago School of Architecture Foundation, a non-profit corporation dedicated to architectural research the history of Chicago architecture, the study of urban problems, and as a general clearing house for matters concerning architecture in Chicago and in the United States.

A significant amount of restoration of the house has been completed, although much remains to be done. The Foundation has sponsored a number of public lectures, exhibits, etc. A library of architecture has been started and original architectural drawings are and will continue to be a significant part of the collection. Artifacts from demolished buildings are also kept at the house when they are of such significance to so merit.

John J. Glessner House, 1800 South Prairie Ave Chicago, Cook County, IL

Designed and built between May 1885 and December 1887, this house is considered the last of the fully personal works of the architect H.H. Richardson and one of his finest houses. The house was designated a Chicago Architectural Landmark in 1958, "In recognition of the fine planning for an urban site, which opens the family rooms to the quiet serenity of an inner yard; the effective ornament and decoration; and the impressive Romanesque masonry, expressing dignity and power."