316 N 4th Ave
Maywood, IL 60153, USA

Jacob Bohlander House - National Register of Historic Places

Statement of Significance:

The Jacob Bohlander House satisfies Criterion C as a locally significant and distinctive example of Late Victorian Queen Anne architecture, embodying the major elements of that style. Classical elements are also present, such as the pedimented front porch, the Ionic columns, the roof cornice, the cherubs on the radiators. These classical features and the solid massing of the masonry building with the toilers and bays is representative of the "free classic" style of Queen Anne design (1). With these exterior features, and the well-preserved interior with good detailing, the Jacob Bohlander House is a significant Queen Anne house. It is the only masonry free classic "Queen Anne" in Maywood.

Historical context of the Jacob Bohlander House (ca 1894
Jacob Bohlander was a leading merchant and politician. I t was during his tenure as Village President that Bohlander built his residence. Jacob Bohlander purchased three lots in 1890 from John Guilford for $14Q0 (8). Bohlander and his wife Ella Covell took out a trust deed for $4000 in 1894, to Henry W. Austin, the son of one of the key developers of Oak Park (8). The deed was for both the land and buildings, suggesting that the house was either finished or in the process of being built. In 1897 a release was issued and Bohlander took title. Clearly the house had been constructed by 1897 since a newspaper article said Bohlander installed fans in July 23, 1897, which is only 9 days after paying off the mortgage. This suggests the house may have been finished by 1894, but certainly sometime between 1894 and 1896. The house was constructed on a triple lot (15-11-125-006: lots 28,29,30) in the northern part of Maywood on the corner of Fourth Avenue and Fourth Street, which is now called Erie Street.

The Jacob Bohlander House was built while Bohlander was President of the Village of Maywood, and a successful merchant with stores. in Oak Park and Maywood. He was from an old and prominent family, as was his wife, Ell a Covell. It was appropriate, therefore, that the y build a substantia l house. In a historical retrospective eat the Maywood Historical Society in 1945 (9), Jacob's brother Peter said Jacob built "a splendid brick house". It is understandable that Bohlander built a house with a stair hall that provide d a warm and commodious welcome to al l who entered. The stair hall symbolically invited all who entered the front door and passed through the vestibule to enter int o the center of the family, and was appropriate for a progressive local politician in the late Victorian era. The newel posts even have pineapples, which symbolize hospitality.

Bohlander History:
The Bohlander family was a prominent family in the western suburbs of Chicago, and the Bohlanders were among the first settler s and land owners i n Proviso Township (10). John Bohlander, Jacob's great grandfather, came to the area from Bavaria in 1835, with his three sons and their families. Jacob's grandfather, Peter, bought a farm on which Berkeley is situate d today. There were so many deaths from choler a in the 1840's, he donated an acre of his land for The Old Settler s Cemetery which today is near Bohlander Street (8). All the Bohlanders were active in the first businesses present as well as in the civic development of the first towns in the suburbs west of Chicago.

Jacob Bohlander was a successful merchant in business with his brother John. Bohlander Bros. (Jacob and John) had large well stocked dry goods store s i n bot h Maywood and Oak Park. Jacob was President of Maywood 1894-95 and 1896-97 (11), and Proviso Town Clerk. During his second term piped water was introduce d t o houses in Maywood (8). Jacob is listed in the Chicago Blue Book for the years 1893-1903.

Bohlander played an important role during a severe strike (1896) affecting factories in the area, especially in Bellwood and Melrose Park (12). The factories had sent agents to the south, who had brought skilled black workers north on the Illinoi s Central with the promise of good jobs. Many of the striker s were from Maywood and nearby. The strikers were so incensed by the imported southerners that they prevented the scabs from leaving the boxcars sitting in the LaGrange train yards. I t was summer with temperatures over 100 F. Bohlander, on his own initiative, sent food and water to the men in the railroad car. Riot s were narrowly averted. The men were soon returned to their homes i n Mississippi. Another interesting newspaper article (January 19, 1894), showing Bohlander's sense of humor, reported that Bohlander, Frank Covell, and several others, "left here on a tri p t o Florid a las t week in search of the fountain of youth. They will be absent two weeks." It was reported that Bohlander had the first automobile in Maywood.

Jacob Bohlander married Ella Covell, who came from a family which was very important in the earl y development of Proviso Township, and among the founders of Hillside (10, 13). Ell a was the daughter of Marion F. Covell, who owned a quarry with Philip Bohlander, Jacob's father. They had four children in their house: Harry, Arthur, Willard, Elle n (Nell).

Jacob Bohlander became a widower sometime after 1897 (14). I n the 1906 Maywood Directory , Jacob is listed as a farmer, being married to Josephine, and living with the children Harry, Arthur , and Nellie a t the Bohlander house. Also listed in the 1906 directory as boarders were a widow, teacher, stenographer, and a clerk.

As mentioned before, al l o f Jacob's brother s played important role s in the earl y development of different areas of Proviso township (15). Until 1901, John and Jacob were in business together. Gustav had a hardware store in Melrose Park for years. He was President of the village from 1921 to 1929. Peter had a general store in Melrose Park. He was one of t h e first members of the board of education, a post he held for 11 years. Largely due to his efforts the North School of Maywood was built and the Melrose Park post office created. He was the first postmaster, and Village treasurer for about 10 years, and a Village trustee.

The Covell Family
The Covell family came to this country from England in the seventeenth century (13). Henry Covell, the grandfather of Ella, fought in the Revolutionary War. His son Thomas Reed Covell settled with his family in Proviso township in 1833. He was one of the few whit e men to trade with the Sioux and Pottawatomie Indian s (13). He owned about 600 acres of land in the Proviso area. After his death i n 1846, his son Marion (Ella' s father), who was born in 1831, inherited 160 acres on which he raise d cattle. He also had a stone quarry. Marion was active in local politics, being for four years Town Clerk, Commissioner of Highways six years, supervisor of the Township one year, a member of the Board of Trustees of Proviso for 15 years, and Justice of the Peace four terms (10). It is interesting to notes that in 1888, Marion went to Colorado, where he spent several years doing historical research for a three-volume history of Colorado. He visited every county in Colorado on horseback and spent considerable time investigating the areas that had been inhabited by the cliff dweller s thousands of years ago.

Maywood Histor y (10,16,17,18)
Maywood was founded as a planned alternative to city living in 1869. I t was advertise d as an alternative to city living, as a community in which one could "own a fin e house, liv e in a country atmosphere and breath fresh air, and still be only a 24 minute train rid e t o Chicago on the Northwestern Railroad" . Maywood was incorporate d in 1881. I n 1895 the growing population was approximately 4000.

Architectural Context:
The elements of Late Victorian Queen Anne architecture are embodied in the Jacob Bohlander house. In addition, there are classical elements that puts this house in the "free classic " style of Queen Anne design as describe d by McAlester (1). Queen Anne was the dominant style of architecture for homes built between about 1880 and 1900. The Queen Anne uses wall surface s as primary decorative elements. This is accomplished in two ways: 1) by avoiding plain flat wall s through such device as bays, towers, overhangs, and wall projections, and 2) by using sever l wall materials of differing texture whenever plana r expanses of wall do occur. McAlester describe s four principal subtypes of Queen Anne. The two principal subtypes, which account for about 85% of all Queen Annes are: 1. spindle work (or Eastlake), in which there is "gingerbread" ornamentation, and delicate turned porch supports; 2. "fre e classic" , in which classical columns are used for porch supports , and other classical ornamentation replace s delicate spindle work. The Bohlander House is representative of the free classic style.

The Queen Anne roof, for all subtypes, is generally a steeply pitched roof that is multi-plane d with one or more cross gables. This house has a steeply pitched roof that is hipped, and with many planes and a curved turret surface. At first glance, it looks like the turret is a cross gable, but actually there are no gables in the entire roof . Even the dormers are hipped. Although not all Queen Anne houses have towers and turret s and porches on upper levels, it is often the case. This house has a semi-circular tower with second floor a porch, and a hexagonal turret, which are placed asymmetrically .

The asymmetrical placement of the towers and turret son the relatively soli d massing of the masonry is characteristic of the "free classic " Queen Anne style. Another classical feature of the roof, namely the presence o f a roof cornice (originally with dentils) suggests this "free classic "style . Often Queen Anne houses have bays to break up rectilinear wall surfaces. The Bohlander house has two bays.

Queen Anne houses generally have a front porch that is either partial or full width and extends around one or both sides. The Bohlander house has a front porch that extends around the north side of the house. The porch has an unbroken triangular pediment with Ionic porch capitals. These classical features, and the absence of delicate turned baluster s (rough c u t stone i s used instead) , are characteristic of the "free classic " Queen Anne style .

A very significant feature of Queen Anne architecture i s the use of exterior surface texturing. This is most commonly achieved by the use of different wood material s and the addition of masonry elements. This house has three types of masonry (limestone, sandstone, brick), each with different finishes, as well as patterned shingles, and double bead tongue and groove. In addition, slate is used on the main roof and term metal on the porch roofs.

The detailing not only enhances the exterior, but continues on the inside. For example, in the main stairwell the porch columns are mimicked with the Ionic oak columns framing the stairs, and the presence of texture is assured by the incrust a dado. The windows and doors are framed with a cornice that has dentils. This is another classical influence consistent with the "free classic " style. Other interior detailing includes the use of stained and beveled glass, intricate mantels with beveled mirrors, and matching copper and brass plate d hardware.