All the following cool, old-school properties, which are 50 years or older, have just been newly listed on the market this past month. They all come with interesting back stories: As noted by Bob Goldsborough in the Chicago Tribune, the modernist home in Wayne was “one of the last residential designs by Paul Schweikher…before moving east to chair the architecture school at Yale University.” If you are interested, you can actually visit Schweikher’s own home and studio in Schaumburg, where he lived and worked between 1937 and 1953. Speaking of architects’ homes, I was excited to see two listings currently on the market, one in the south suburbs and the other on Chicago’s South Side, that were designed by local designers as their personal residences. There is a section of suburban Glenview known as Solar Park where architect Fred Keck and developer Howard Sloan created a development between 1939-42. Unfortunately many of the original solar houses have been demolished for larger McMansions, but one of the surviving residences just went up for sale. Last but not least, there is a uniquely shaped home near the Schweikher design that I thought was worth sharing.
5N477 Curling Pond Rd, Wayne, $1,299,000
Known as the Joseph and Helen Frazel House after the original owners, who commissioned Paul Schweikher to design their residence in 1952, this architecturally iconic residence spans just over 4,000 square feet and features four bedrooms and three full bathrooms. There is an indoor and outdoor feel with walls of glass, exposed redwood beams, and inner courtyards. It’s worth noting that Helen was a landscape architect who designed a second home nearby for their family in 1965. This 3.76-acre property not only backs up to nature, specifically Norton Creek, but has an amazing outdoor space that includes a pergola and pool.
30W501 Lies Rd, West Chicago, $474,900
Not too far away from the Wayne property in unincorporated West Chicago stands a one-of-kind custom home designed by Gilbert D. Spindel, an engineer known for selling blueprints of his innovative “roundhouse” residential designs through advertising in magazines and newspapers, primarily in the Southeastern U.S. Though not circular, this three-bedroom, two-bathroom home still has a distinctive hexagonal shape, giving it a unique energy-efficient layout that includes radiant heated flooring. The patio overlooks a third of an acre of land that backs up to the Illinois Prairie Path.
1707 Lynwood Ct, Flossmoor, $799,000
In the southern suburb of Flossmoor, there is an architecturally interesting property seeking only its third owner since the 3,800-square-foot, four-bedroom home was constructed in 1975. This was originally the personal residence of Robert L. Wesley, the first Black partner at the architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The property was last sold in 2002, reportedly right after Wesley retired, according to this interview. The unique design is full of amazing interior spaces, including a two-story living room with walls of glass, numerous built-ins, and a family room that overlooks a walled garden. The main primary suite has its own screened porch, while the private study leads to an art studio with more walls of glass. The property is being sold as-is.
811 Redwood Ln, Glenview, $949,000
A historic property in Glenview’s Solar Park, designed by architect George Fred Keck, was listed on the market in early June. The three-bedroom, two-bathroom home spans nearly 2,000 square feet and has south-facing windows at its rear, which provides the solar heat that inspired the name of this subdivision. The residence’s living room opens directly to a patio and large backyard that looks over George F. Nixon and Glenview Woods, giving it a sense of privacy. While the home will need some renovation work, hopefully its next owners will appreciate its history and preserve it for the future.
9333 S Oakley Ave, Chicago, $850,000
I wrote about this mid-century modern property on Chicago’s South Side two years ago. This month, the 3,404-square-foot, five-bedroom split-level is back on the market, refreshed and ready for its next owner. It was the personal residence of S. Richard Klarich, a native of the former Yugoslavia, who designed and built many structures in the surrounding neighborhood, as well as suburban Palos Park, Oak Lawn, and Ogden Dunes, Indiana. Some of the vintage details remain but there have been updates, including the bathrooms, as well as a brand new kitchen with custom cabinetry and a quartz waterfall island.