Aug 21, 2003
Reid House - National Register of Historic Places
Statement of Significance: The William H. Reid House, designed by the firm of Beers, Clay and Dutton in 1894, is locally significant for architecture as an excellent example of Classical Revival design in a residential structure, and the last remaining residence of its style and type on Chicago's historic Prairie Avenue. The period of significance is 1894, the year it was completed. Georgian Revival and Neo-Adamesque influences in the design are seen in the smooth brick facade, projecting entrance portico with fluted columns, ornate entablature, entrance door with fanlight and sidelights, lintel-type windows, Palladian window, modillioned cornice, and flat, delicate ornament with swags, garlands, and ums. These elements also decorate the interior, which contains a profusion of woodwork, mosaics and stained glass of exceptional craftsmanship and artistic value. The Reid House is also significant for its method of construction. As reported by Carl Condit in The Chicago School of Architecture, "At the time that the plans for the Reliance Building were being prepared, the architects Beers, Clay and Dutton designed what appears to have been the first steel-framed residence and thus applied the techniques of Chicago construction to the private dwelling. The Reid house thus constituted a miniature replica of the new office buildings that were multiplying in the commercial core of the city." The Reid House was planned as a completely fireproof structure, but the steel framing also allowed for a more open floor plan than was usual in a residence at the time. The house retains exceptional integrity, including, unusually, its original hardware, gas and electric lighting fixtures, bathrooms, and other details.
Reid House - National Register of Historic Places
Statement of Significance: The William H. Reid House, designed by the firm of Beers, Clay and Dutton in 1894, is locally significant for architecture as an excellent example of Classical Revival design in a residential structure, and the last remaining residence of its style and type on Chicago's historic Prairie Avenue. The period of significance is 1894, the year it was completed. Georgian Revival and Neo-Adamesque influences in the design are seen in the smooth brick facade, projecting entrance portico with fluted columns, ornate entablature, entrance door with fanlight and sidelights, lintel-type windows, Palladian window, modillioned cornice, and flat, delicate ornament with swags, garlands, and ums. These elements also decorate the interior, which contains a profusion of woodwork, mosaics and stained glass of exceptional craftsmanship and artistic value. The Reid House is also significant for its method of construction. As reported by Carl Condit in The Chicago School of Architecture, "At the time that the plans for the Reliance Building were being prepared, the architects Beers, Clay and Dutton designed what appears to have been the first steel-framed residence and thus applied the techniques of Chicago construction to the private dwelling. The Reid house thus constituted a miniature replica of the new office buildings that were multiplying in the commercial core of the city." The Reid House was planned as a completely fireproof structure, but the steel framing also allowed for a more open floor plan than was usual in a residence at the time. The house retains exceptional integrity, including, unusually, its original hardware, gas and electric lighting fixtures, bathrooms, and other details.
Aug 21, 2003
Posted Date
Apr 05, 2022
Historical Record Date
Aug 21, 2003
Source Name
United States Department of Interior - National Park Service
