901 S 8th Ave
Maywood, IL 60153, USA

Mrs. Henry F. Akin House - National Register of Historic Places

Statement of Significance:

The Mrs. Henry F. Aki n House is located on the southeast corner of South 8th Avenue and School Street, in the village of Maywood on the land originally owned by the Maywood Company, between Firs t and Ninth Avenues, north of Harrison Street. This parcel first changed hands from the Maywood Company in 1871 and went through several owners until 1902, when it was purchased by Elizabet h R. Akin. I t was subdivide d by her husband Henry in 1908, and it appears that the house was constructed shortly thereafter.

The Aki n House, which face s west, is a one-story Prairie School bungalow. It is an "L"-shape wood frame building, sheathed in stucco, resting on a raise d concrete foundation. Its asphalt roof has a shallow hi p shape enclosing unfinished living space. There is a brick chimney a t the point of the hip. Wide overhangs extend around the entire house. The front entrance is located up five steps, at the corner of the "L", on the north end of the front of the house. I t is adjacent to a rectangular side porch, an extension of the dining room and living room. This extension forms the "L". There is a second entrance a t the rear, next to the kitchen. Windows are casements, generally found in pairs. Five pair s form a ribbon across the front of the house, where the living room is located. Exterior trim is restricted to wood banding. I t frames the overhangs, define s window areas int o horizontally oriented rectangles, and surrounds the house a t the sill line.

On the interior, hallway s follows the "L" shape plan of the house. Entrance is into a short narrow hall with symmetrical wide openings int o the living and dining rooms. At the end of the entry hall, to the left, is an entrance hall into a long hallway, which has three bedrooms and a bath opening of fit . A service pantry connects the dining room and kitchen, which is locate d a t the rea r of the house. The rea r entrance, of the kitchen, is through a small vestibule. The side porch is only accessible from the dining room.

Interior trim is typically Prairie School in inspiration, echoing the exterior treatment. Horizontal wood banding is everywhere. There is a wide wood band Just above the baseboard moldings and a double band at head heigh t in the front hall, living and dining rooms and a single wide band in the long bedroom hall. A second double band encircle s the ceiling in the front hall and living room. The fireplace, which is locate d on the east wall of the living room, is rectangular and constructed of narrow roman brick s which project from the wall the width of one brick. There is a narrow brick band forming a second rectangle within the fireplace surround. The fireplace has no mantle; its top is an extension of one of the two wood bands a t head level. Oak is extensively used for trim—in doors paneled in a rectangular pattern, in the pantry and in a wood, beachfront separating the dining room and bedroom hallway. The breakfront has drawers flanked by glass-doored cabinet s opening int o the dining room and is topped by bookshelves opening int o the hallway. A rectangular wood light fixture hangs from the center of the dining room ceiling, which take s the shape of a shallow pointe d arch.

The Akin house has extraordinary y integrity. The once open porch has been glazed but the original configuration has been retained. Except for a replacement front door, all historic details are intact.
There is a modern two-car aluminum-sided garage with a hip roof at the rear of the lot. It is a non-contributing building.

Photo by Susan Benjamin