James Charnley Residence
Encyclopedia
The James Charnley Residence is located in Chicago
's Gold Coast neighborhood, in the 1300 block of North Astor Street. The house is now called the Charnley–Persky House. An Adler & Sullivan design, the townhouse is the work of Louis Sullivan
and a young junior draftsman working in his office by the name of Frank Lloyd Wright
. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.
The house was completed in 1892 for Charnley, a Chicago lumberman who lived in the house with his family for about a decade. The building was later owned by members of the Waller family, who invested in real estate. The house was purchased by the architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
in 1986 and subsequently restored. Seymour Persky purchased the house in 1995 and donated it to the Society of Architectural Historians
who renamed the building to the Charnley–Persky House to honor their benefactor.
The plain brick facade with simple ornamentation was quite different than other houses on the Gold Coast, but the interior is distinguished by rich ornamentation that is typical of Sullivan's work.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's Gold Coast neighborhood, in the 1300 block of North Astor Street. The house is now called the Charnley–Persky House. An Adler & Sullivan design, the townhouse is the work of Louis Sullivan
Louis Sullivan
Louis Henri Sullivan was an American architect, and has been called the "father of skyscrapers" and "father of modernism" He is considered by many as the creator of the modern skyscraper, was an influential architect and critic of the Chicago School, was a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright, and an...
and a young junior draftsman working in his office by the name of Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.
The house was completed in 1892 for Charnley, a Chicago lumberman who lived in the house with his family for about a decade. The building was later owned by members of the Waller family, who invested in real estate. The house was purchased by the architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP is an American architectural and engineering firm that was formed in Chicago in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings; in 1939 they were joined by John O. Merrill. They opened their first branch in New York City, New York in 1937. SOM is one of the largest...
in 1986 and subsequently restored. Seymour Persky purchased the house in 1995 and donated it to the Society of Architectural Historians
Society of Architectural Historians
The Society of Architectural Historians is an international not-for-profit organization that promotes the study and preservation of the built environment worldwide....
who renamed the building to the Charnley–Persky House to honor their benefactor.
The plain brick facade with simple ornamentation was quite different than other houses on the Gold Coast, but the interior is distinguished by rich ornamentation that is typical of Sullivan's work.