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

The Miracle House

Belli & Belli Architects and Engineers, Inc.; 1954

— Chicago Landmark —

The Miracle House Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, March 27, 2025

1. The Miracle House Marker

Inscription. The genesis of the house is perhaps unlike any other in Chicago for it was built as a grand prize for a raffle sponsored by the St. William Catholic parish located nearby. The name Miracle House first appeared on the raffle tickets, and it has remained with the property. The futuristic design of the house reveals the enthusiasm for newness and the future that captivated America in the 1950s. The house was designed by Belli and Belli, architects and engineers who reveled in innovative structures like this.

Designated April 21, 2021
Lori E. Lightfoot, Mayor

Erected 2025 by Commission on Chicago Landmarks; City of Chicago.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Illinois, Chicago Landmarks Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1954.

Location. 41° 54.98′ N, 87° 48.119′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Galewood. It is on West Armitage Avenue east of North Nordica Avenue, on the right when traveling west. The marker is embedded into the ground

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

in front of the home's Armitage Avenue side. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2001 North Nordica Avenue, Elmwood Park IL 60707, United States of America. Touch for directions.

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: Rutherford Sayre Natural Area (approx. 0.3 miles away); Rutherford Sayre Nature Garden and Natural Area (approx. 0.3 miles away); A Historical Vision Realized (approx. 0.3 miles away); Native Plants Reduce Flooding (approx. 0.3 miles away); Habitat Types (approx. 0.3 miles away); a different marker also named Rutherford Sayre Natural Area (approx. 0.4 miles away); Montclare World War I Honor Roll (approx. 0.4 miles away); Warren Cooney (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.

More about this marker.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, March 27, 2025

2. The Miracle House Marker

While the home was designated a Chicago Landmark in 2021, the plaque was likely erected sometime in early 2025.

Regarding The Miracle House. St. William Catholic Church, also designed by Belli & Belli at the same time, is about ¾ of a mile north of here. The architectural firm, founded by brothers Edo and Anthony Belli, was responsible for a number of churches and hospitals in the Chicago area in the post-World War II years.

Also see . . .
1. Ask Geoffrey: Chicago's Miracle House. WTTW-TV's Geoffrey Baer tours the Miracle House. (Submitted on March 27, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

2. The Miracle House, 2001 North Nordica Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. (1954). The Digital Research Library of Illinois History shares an extensive look at the Miracle House, including photographs.

Excerpt: “Dr. David Scheiner bought the house in 1999 on the advice of his late wife, who had known about the home while growing up on the Northwest Side. 'I walked in, and my jaw dropped,' Scheiner said, noting that he purchased the whole thing for around $375,000 at the time. The home, he said, is 70 percent glass, the
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, March 27, 2025

3. The Miracle House
According to the house's description by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, the "two giant steel arms... act as a suspension bridge rather than loadbearing walls and columns."
Click for more information.
floors are marble, and the Jetson's-style stainless-steel arms (they do not support the house) imitate the flying buttresses that hold up European cathedrals. Dr. Scheiner was Barack Obama’s personal doctor for nearly two decades, right up until Obama won the presidency in 2008.”

(Submitted on March 27, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Credits. This page was last revised on March 27, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 27, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 314 times since then and 48 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 27, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.