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Apr 15, 1985
Ropp-Grabill House - National Register of Historic Places
Statement of Significance: The Ropp-Grabill residence is a well-designed and admirably preserved example of the Italianate style as derived from the Renaissance Revival in England by such Eastern author/architects as A. J. Downing and Calvert Vaux and further simplified by Midwestern builders. Its subsequent changes, including remodeling the dining room in the Eastlake style and adding Colonial Revival front porch and fireplace, mirror the shifting taste of late nineteenth century architecture in America. Since 1900 it has been lovingly preserved by a series of owners mindful of its aesthetic significance. Among the late r mansions, bungalows and apartment buildings erected after the neighborhood was absorbed into the city of Chicago, it stands today as the las t remaining dwelling from Irving Park's first period of development to come down to us unchanged. I t would be immediately recognized by a returning citizen of early Irving Park, a citizen familiar with the several dozen similar houses set on the open field s and remaining prairie s of Jefferson township. But much more than merely a well-preserved structure eleven decades old, the Ropp-Grabill house is an outstanding example of its type within the city of Chicago and remains unusual within the context of the whole state. Cited for its architectural significance by the Illinoi s Historic Structures Survey in its Irving Park report, it was late r placed on the select list of buildings deemed eligible f or inclusion in the National Register on their architectural merits alone prepared for the state by Paul Sprague. Thus, compared with similar Italianates still standing in the state a decade ago, the quality of its architectural design became even more apparent. Its simplicity, refined details, and harmonious historic alterations, coupled with its state of preservation, make it an outstanding example of Italianate residential' architecture in Illinois. Photo by Paul Kruty
Ropp-Grabill House - National Register of Historic Places
Statement of Significance: The Ropp-Grabill residence is a well-designed and admirably preserved example of the Italianate style as derived from the Renaissance Revival in England by such Eastern author/architects as A. J. Downing and Calvert Vaux and further simplified by Midwestern builders. Its subsequent changes, including remodeling the dining room in the Eastlake style and adding Colonial Revival front porch and fireplace, mirror the shifting taste of late nineteenth century architecture in America. Since 1900 it has been lovingly preserved by a series of owners mindful of its aesthetic significance. Among the late r mansions, bungalows and apartment buildings erected after the neighborhood was absorbed into the city of Chicago, it stands today as the las t remaining dwelling from Irving Park's first period of development to come down to us unchanged. I t would be immediately recognized by a returning citizen of early Irving Park, a citizen familiar with the several dozen similar houses set on the open field s and remaining prairie s of Jefferson township. But much more than merely a well-preserved structure eleven decades old, the Ropp-Grabill house is an outstanding example of its type within the city of Chicago and remains unusual within the context of the whole state. Cited for its architectural significance by the Illinoi s Historic Structures Survey in its Irving Park report, it was late r placed on the select list of buildings deemed eligible f or inclusion in the National Register on their architectural merits alone prepared for the state by Paul Sprague. Thus, compared with similar Italianates still standing in the state a decade ago, the quality of its architectural design became even more apparent. Its simplicity, refined details, and harmonious historic alterations, coupled with its state of preservation, make it an outstanding example of Italianate residential' architecture in Illinois. Photo by Paul Kruty
Apr 15, 1985
Posted Date
Apr 05, 2022
Historical Record Date
Apr 15, 1985
Source Name
United States Department of Interior - National Park Service
