Austin in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Joseph Jacob Walser House

Frank Lloyd Wright, Architect; 1903

— Chicago Landmark —

Joseph Jacob Walser House Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Sean Flynn

1. Joseph Jacob Walser House Marker

Inscription. Built four years after the suburb of Austin was annexed to Chicago, this house is among the best of Wright's experiments with inexpensive residences. Within a narrow lot, the house has all the features of his mature Prairie style, characterized by a horizontal emphasis resulting from deep roof eaves and bands of windows, a straightfoward use of simple materials, and a spacious but efficient open interior plan.

Designated a Chicago Landmark on March 30, 1984
by the City Council of Chicago.
Harold Washington, Mayor

Commission on Chicago
Historical and Architectural Landmarks

Erected 1984 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 Illinois, Chicago Landmarks Commission series list. 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. Marker is on Central Avenue, 0.1 miles north of Madison Street, on the right when traveling south. The marker is face-up on a stone pedestal in the home's front yard, not far from the sidewalk. Touch for map.

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Marker is at or near this postal address: 42 North Central Avenue, Chicago IL 60644, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. American Elm (Memorial to George Washington) (approx. 0.4 miles away); Austin VFW Post 2955 War Memorial (approx. half a mile away); F.R. Schock Houses (approx. 0.6 miles away); Oak Park (approx. 0.7 miles away); St. James Apartments (approx. 0.7 miles away); Gold Star Men of the World War (approx. 0.8 miles away); Longfellow Mosaics (approx. 0.8 miles away); 209 N. Humphrey Ave. (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.

Regarding Joseph Jacob Walser House. Joseph Walser, son of a real estate developer in the Austin neighborhood, purchased the lot at 417 South Central (its address prior to Chicago's address re-designation in 1909, which left the house as 42 North Central) and hired Frank Lloyd Wright to design the house; it was completed in 1903. The Walsers moved out in 1910, and the house had a dozen owners over the next 60 years. Since 1970, however, it is believed to have been in the hands of the same family.

Recognized as a Chicago Landmark in 1984, the Walser House was named to the National Register of Historic Places on April 23, 2013. It stands out in a neighborhood filled with multi-family

Joseph Jacob Walser House image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Sean Flynn, November 7, 2023

2. Joseph Jacob Walser House

walk-ups and apartment buildings. Some of the house's distinctive design features, including its art-glass windows and light fixtures, were removed in the 1960s by previous 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 2009, Landmarks Illinois, an architectural preservation group, included the Walser House on its annual list of endangered Illinois buildings. Nearly 15 years later, it appears in need of even greater upkeep, with faded wood in the front and overgrown weeds and bushes blocking the building's historic façade, including the recessed, one-story porches on either side of the main section.

Also see . . .
1. More than just a landmark.

Excerpt from 2009 article in Austin Weekly News: "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
Photographed By Sean Flynn, November 7, 2023

3. Joseph Jacob Walser House
and white, which resembled 'a haunted house.'"

(Submitted on November 7, 2023, by Sean Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

2. Wikipedia: The J.J. Walser Jr. residence. (Submitted on November 7, 2023, by Sean Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Photographed By Cook County Assessor’s Office, circa March 2008

4. Joseph Jacob Walser House

2008 photo

Credits. This page was last revised on November 11, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 7, 2023, by Sean Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 60 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 7, 2023, by Sean Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 4. submitted on November 10, 2023, by Sean Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.