Austin in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Joseph Jacob Walser House
Frank Lloyd Wright, Architect; 1903
| — | Chicago Landmark | — |
Photographed by Sean Flynn
1. Joseph Jacob Walser House Marker
Designated a Chicago Landmark on March 30, 1984 by the City Council of Chicago.
Harold Washington, Mayor
Erected by Commission on Chicago Historical and Architectural Landmarks; City of Chicago.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Architecture. In addition, it is included in the Frank Lloyd Wright, the Illinois, Chicago Landmarks Commission, and the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1903.
Location. 41° 52.894′ N, 87° 45.905′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Austin. It is on North Central Avenue 0.1 miles north of West Madison Street, on the right when traveling south. The marker
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Reverend Jesse Taylor (approx. 0.3 miles away); American Elm (Memorial to George Washington) (approx. 0.4 miles away); Columbus Park (approx. 0.4 miles away); Third Unitarian Church (approx. half a mile away); Jens Jensen (approx. half a mile away); a different marker also named Columbus Park (approx. half a mile away); Austin VFW Post 2955 War Memorial (approx. half a mile away); Shrine of Our Lady of Fréchou (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.
Regarding Joseph Jacob Walser House. Joseph
Photographed by Sean Flynn, November 7, 2023
2. Joseph Jacob Walser House (2023)
Standing out in a neighborhood filled with multi-family walk-ups and apartment buildings, the J.J. Walser House was recognized as a Chicago Landmark in 1984, and it was named to the National Register of Historic Places on April 23, 2013. The home once had many distinctive design features typical of Frank Lloyd Wright homes, including art-glass windows and light fixtures, but almost all of those were removed long ago by earlier owners. One stained-glass window from the house was auctioned in 2020 for $93,750; a smaller one sold in 2023 for $17,640.
In the last few decades, the home's deterioration occasionally drew attention
Photographed by Sean Flynn, November 7, 2023
3. Joseph Jacob Walser House
Then, when the long-time owner died in 2019, the home entered foreclosure limbo, and its decline accelerated. According numerous news reports, the home had rotting wood, holes in the roof allowing in rain and snow, weeds covering the lawn, and holes in the foundation. Repair estimates are in the hundreds of thousands of dollars (or more). In March 2025, Preservation Chicago, a historic preservation group in the city, included the Walser House on its annual list of the seven most endangered buildings in Chicago. In May 2025, Landmarks Illinois once again named the house to its list of 10 most endangered sites in Illinois.
Finally, in December 2025, foreclosure proceedings ended, and the home became the property of a lender. In April 2026, the home was acquired by an Austin neighborhood nonprofit called Austin Coming Together for $125,000; the purchase was announced to the public two months later. The group estimates that repairs to the home
Photographed by Cook County Assessor’s Office, circa March 2008
4. J.J. Walser House (2008)
This photo by the Cook County's tax assessor shows the home in 2008.
Also see . . .
1. Crains Chicago Business: Austin group buys run-down FLW house, plans $3.5 million rehab. An Austin neighborhood nonprofit acquired the home for $125 in April of 2026, and announced the purchase two months later.
Excerpt: “The transfer signals the start of a much-needed but long-awaited uphill climb for the house in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, a rare example of Wright’s Prairie Style house designs within the city limits. Revitalizing the broken-down house may cost as much as $3.5 million, the new owner told Crain’s today.”(Submitted on June 24, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
2. SUCCESS STORY: Walser House in Chicago. This page on the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy website was updated in June 2026, after a the J.J. Walser home was acquired by an Austin neighborhood nonprofit that plans to invest in a multimillion-dollar rehab.
Excerpt: “This is critical development in the future preservation of this extremely endangered property. It took a coalition effort to save it. The Conservancy worked closely over several years with Austin Coming(Submitted on January 20, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)Together, Landmarks Illinois, and Preservation Chicago. Additionally, we are grateful to estate attorneys Jack Lydon and Michael Rachlis for their dedicated partnership in this difficult endeavor. We also wish to acknowledge our members and donors, whose support enables our persistent, long-term, behind-the-scenes advocacy for this and all of Wright’s buildings."House Beautiful, courtesy of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, circa 19055. J.J. Walser House (1905), side viewThis photo of the side the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Walser House was taken a few years after it was completed. A multi-family home, built in later years and more typical of the Austin neighborhood, now occupies the spot where the photo was taken.
3. JJ Walser House: 2025 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois. Landmarks Illinois named the J.J. Walser House one of the 10 most endangered historic sites in Illinois in 2025. The article includes photographs of the disrepair in the home's interior.
Excerpt: "During his lifetime, Hurley Teague, a general contractor, kept the house in good repair. After Hurley’s death in 1997, Anne Teague obtained a reverse mortgage to cover the ongoing maintenance of her home. Anne passed away in 2019, and the interest on the mortgage has become unaffordable for her heirs. The house is now vacant and faces foreclosure, placing it in a stewardship limbo that makes it vulnerable to continued deterioration. Conditions at the house are severe, including holes in the foundation and roof that have exposed the interior to deterioration and water damage. For a time, it was also unsecured from trespassers, leaving the interior littered and in disarray."(Submitted on May 1, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
4. Preservation Chicago: J.J. Walser House. The J.J. Walser House was named to Preservation Chicago's 2025 list of the 7 most endangered buildings in the city. The link includes numerous photos taken over the past decade.
Excerpt: “Though not often cited as one of Wright’s grander works, the Walser House nonetheless incorporates essential details of the Prairie Style and is a testament to the style’s broad applicability and its emphasis on simple forms, horizontality, and “organic” naturalism. Wright’s (and his contemporaries) development of the Prairie Style through single-family residences remain among the most recognized, and arguably most iconic, version of the form. The Walser House is no exception. The 2013 National Register registration form, authored by John D. Cramer, summarized it thusly: 'The home’s accentuated horizontal lines, both inside and out, tied to its semi-prairie landscape. The free-flowing efficiency of the first floor living spaces, the handcrafted built-in furniture, and the overall simplicity of construction showed that for all of its modern notions, the Prairie School, with its associations with nature and rediscovered artisanal building craft, sought a return to traditional building and living.'”(Submitted on November 7, 2023, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
5. Austin Weekly News: More than just a landmark. In 2009, an Austin neighborhood newspaper interviewed Anne Teague, the long-time owner of the J.J. Walser House. Teague died in 2019, and the home spent the next six years in foreclosure limbo.
Excerpt: "Teague, who is on a fixed-income, knows the house needs repairing, but she said it was in bad shape when they purchased it 40 years ago. The previous owners removed all of the art glass windows and light fixtures, as well as some of the original furniture Wright designed for the house. Teague’s husband, who died in 1997, was a general contractor and fixed up the house as best he could. He put up wood paneling and painted the black woodwork a brown color to break up the home’s monotony. Teague recalled the interior was painted black and white, which resembled 'a haunted house.'"(Submitted on November 7, 2023, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
Additional keywords. J.J. Walser House
Credits. This page was last revised on June 25, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 7, 2023, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 872 times since then and 75 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 7, 2023, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 4. submitted on November 10, 2023, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 5. submitted on January 21, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
