Clarke House
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Glessner House

Clarke House, also, Glessner House. . , Clarke House , The Henry B. Clarke family built their house in the Greek Revival style in 1836 near what is now 1625 S. Michigan Avenue. In 1872 the house was sold and moved to 4526 S. Wabash. It was relocated to its present site in 1977 and restored by the city of Chicago. Today it is known as the oldest house in Chicago. , , The Clarkes purchased 20 acres of land on the shore of Lake Michigan in June 1835. Mr. Clarke was a part owner in the hardware firm of Jones, King and Company, served as a director of the Illinois State Bank, and augmented his income by hunting and selling game. , , Henry Clarke died in the cholera epidemic of 1849. His widow, Caroline Palmer, subdivided the property in the early 1850s, and made substantial improvements to the house. It was sold to John Chrimes in 1872, and to the St. Paul Church of God in Christ in 1941. In 1977, it was acquired by the city of Chicago. , , The Clarke House was restored and opened to the public in 1982, and is furnished in the period of 1836-1860 by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Illinois. It is designated a Chicago Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. , , Glessner House , The home of John and Frances Glessner, prominent civic and cultural leaders of the city, is significant in the development of early modern architecture. Designed by architect Henry Hobson Richardson, the building is famous for its innovative floor plan and rugged Romanesque façade. , , John Jacob Glessner, a partner in a farm machinery manufacturing firm, arrived from Ohio in 1870 to open a Chicago office. This company later merged with others to form International Harvester. , , In 1885, the Glessners purchased three lots on Prairie Avenue and commissioned H.H. Richardson to design their new home. The Glessners and their two children, George and Fanny, moved in on December 1, 1887. Furnishings for the house reflected their interest in the Arts and Crafts movement. , , Glessner House broke tradition on Prairie Avenue where most residences stood imitating European design. Termed a "fortress" by neighbors, the house orients the main rooms toward a large private courtyard and dedicates much of the space to service. , , The house was saved from demolition in 1966 and has been extensively restored, using many of the Glessners' original furnishings. It has been designated as a Chicago and National Historic Landmark and is owned and operated by an independent not-for-profit organization.