Feb 09, 1984
Charles N. Loucks House - National Register of Historic Places
Statement of Significance: The Charles N. Loucks residence is a well-designed and preserved example of the American Queen Anne style, create d for a local developer by his architect. I t stands today among bungalows and apartment building s as a visible reminder of that period when Irvin g Park first changed from a group of scattered dwelling into a developed community. Of the several dozen Queen Anne houses remaining in Irvin g Park, this is without doubt the most distinctive. Even in those neighborhoods in the Chicago area with many Queens Annes, such as Hyde Park or Evanston, it remains unique and distinctive i n comparison. With an eclectic mix of material s and styles, architect Clarence Tabor create d for his client a highly individua l building: its irregular massing of gables, bays and tower are pulled together with limestone bands and shingle "skin " and decorated with pressed tin and turned wood. The artistic quality of this assemblage, so different from the work of Chicago's major architects, gives the building its distinctive appearance. On the interior, the highly original windows, unusual within the state, are perhaps unique i n the Chicago area. Though the type of glass used is typica l of the time, the designs themselves are significant: strongly Influence d by the English Aesthetic Movement of the l870s and l880s, they are an unusual combination of abstract flora l motifs, rathe r bulk y geometric forms, and show marked Japanese influence. The combination of clear and colored glass is also unusual. That the designs are so strongly asymmetrical is also significant for a building which precedes the continental Art Nouveau style. Finally, the structure has been well preserved with its significant feature s and detail s intact . HISTORY Named platted in the tracks brought the mansions. including P modestly When developers estate e opera Menasha, Wi in honor of the author Washington Irving, Irvin g Park was 1869 by Charles and W.B. Race, John Wheeler and' John Brown along of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad. The-four men soon families from New York stat e and settle d them i n newly built One of a series of new suburbs along this railroad line, ark Ridge, Norwood Park and Jefferson Park, Irvin g Park develops building activity halted' with the Depression of 1873. prosperity returned; construction began i n earnest. Chief among of this second wave in Irvin g Park was Charles N. Loucks, realtor, builder and publisher. Loucks and his family left scansion in I88O and settle d on Chicago's south side. By I885 he had moved to Irvin g Park and soon after began selling properties. By 1888 C.N. Loucks and Company was actively engaged in developing vacant lot s and platting new subdivisions. Thus, the area bounded by Avondale, Irvin g Park and Pulaski retain s the legal designation "Louck's Addition " to this day. The following year, when al l of Irvin g Park was annexed to the city of Chicago, Loucks built himself a splendid mansion on two lot son Keeler, then called Irvin g Avenue. The building was announced in the Inland Architect and News Record of October, 1889 as a two-story residence of St. Louis pressed brick, stone and slate, to cost $11,000. Designed by his real estate firm' s in-house architect, Clarence H. Tabor, the dwelling was meant to be a showpiece for prospective client s as well as lavish proof of Loucks' success. Loucks moved his large family to a new house in 1897- They continued to move to a new house every few years, always remaining in Irvin g Park. Loucks was joined in his business by several sons and continued working as a developer until after World War I. The Loucks family remained prominent in Irvin g Park affair s for many years. Sons Charles A. and Vernon were well-known lawyers, while Charles A. served for a number of years as president of the Irvin g Park Bank. Subsequent owners, as mentioned in Section 7, have added a garage to the north and small porches to the west and south of the original house. The present owner is attempting to the return the mansion to its former elegance.
Charles N. Loucks House - National Register of Historic Places
Statement of Significance: The Charles N. Loucks residence is a well-designed and preserved example of the American Queen Anne style, create d for a local developer by his architect. I t stands today among bungalows and apartment building s as a visible reminder of that period when Irvin g Park first changed from a group of scattered dwelling into a developed community. Of the several dozen Queen Anne houses remaining in Irvin g Park, this is without doubt the most distinctive. Even in those neighborhoods in the Chicago area with many Queens Annes, such as Hyde Park or Evanston, it remains unique and distinctive i n comparison. With an eclectic mix of material s and styles, architect Clarence Tabor create d for his client a highly individua l building: its irregular massing of gables, bays and tower are pulled together with limestone bands and shingle "skin " and decorated with pressed tin and turned wood. The artistic quality of this assemblage, so different from the work of Chicago's major architects, gives the building its distinctive appearance. On the interior, the highly original windows, unusual within the state, are perhaps unique i n the Chicago area. Though the type of glass used is typica l of the time, the designs themselves are significant: strongly Influence d by the English Aesthetic Movement of the l870s and l880s, they are an unusual combination of abstract flora l motifs, rathe r bulk y geometric forms, and show marked Japanese influence. The combination of clear and colored glass is also unusual. That the designs are so strongly asymmetrical is also significant for a building which precedes the continental Art Nouveau style. Finally, the structure has been well preserved with its significant feature s and detail s intact . HISTORY Named platted in the tracks brought the mansions. including P modestly When developers estate e opera Menasha, Wi in honor of the author Washington Irving, Irvin g Park was 1869 by Charles and W.B. Race, John Wheeler and' John Brown along of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad. The-four men soon families from New York stat e and settle d them i n newly built One of a series of new suburbs along this railroad line, ark Ridge, Norwood Park and Jefferson Park, Irvin g Park develops building activity halted' with the Depression of 1873. prosperity returned; construction began i n earnest. Chief among of this second wave in Irvin g Park was Charles N. Loucks, realtor, builder and publisher. Loucks and his family left scansion in I88O and settle d on Chicago's south side. By I885 he had moved to Irvin g Park and soon after began selling properties. By 1888 C.N. Loucks and Company was actively engaged in developing vacant lot s and platting new subdivisions. Thus, the area bounded by Avondale, Irvin g Park and Pulaski retain s the legal designation "Louck's Addition " to this day. The following year, when al l of Irvin g Park was annexed to the city of Chicago, Loucks built himself a splendid mansion on two lot son Keeler, then called Irvin g Avenue. The building was announced in the Inland Architect and News Record of October, 1889 as a two-story residence of St. Louis pressed brick, stone and slate, to cost $11,000. Designed by his real estate firm' s in-house architect, Clarence H. Tabor, the dwelling was meant to be a showpiece for prospective client s as well as lavish proof of Loucks' success. Loucks moved his large family to a new house in 1897- They continued to move to a new house every few years, always remaining in Irvin g Park. Loucks was joined in his business by several sons and continued working as a developer until after World War I. The Loucks family remained prominent in Irvin g Park affair s for many years. Sons Charles A. and Vernon were well-known lawyers, while Charles A. served for a number of years as president of the Irvin g Park Bank. Subsequent owners, as mentioned in Section 7, have added a garage to the north and small porches to the west and south of the original house. The present owner is attempting to the return the mansion to its former elegance.
Feb 09, 1984
Posted Date
Apr 04, 2022
Historical Record Date
Feb 09, 1984
Source Name
United States Department of Interior - National Park Service
