Pleasant Home
Encyclopedia
Pleasant Home, also known as the John Farson House, is a historic home located in the Chicago
suburb of Oak Park, Illinois
, United States
. The large, Prairie style
mansion was designed by architect George Washington Maher and completed in 1897. The house was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
on June 19, 1972. Exactly 24 years later, in 1996, it was declared a National Historic Landmark
by the United States Department of the Interior
.
architect George W. Maher
in 1897. The house was constructed for John Farson, who lived in the house from 1897 until 1908. In 1908 the home's most recent private owner, Herbert S. Mills, bought the house and stayed there until he sold it to the Park District of Oak Park in 1939.
Restoration began on the house in 1966 with a US$
26,000 rewiring project. In 1970, at a cost of more than $40,000, a number of tasks were completed in the restoration process. On the home's exterior, the fascia
and soffit
were rebuilt as needed and the roof was repaired as well. Also on the exterior, the wood surfaces were repainted. The repairs were conducted in a manner consistent with the original design and construction of the building.
Pleasant Home is an important example of early Prairie style. The house is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
; it was added on June 19, 1972. In addition to the structure's individual listing on the National Register it was listed as a contributing property
to the Ridgeland-Oak Park Historic District
when the district was added to the National Register in 1983. On June 19, 1996 Pleasant Home was declared a U.S. National Historic Landmark
. Two days prior to the National Historic Landmark designation the village of Oak Park's village board declared the John Farson house an Oak Park Landmark. The Farson House is among the earliest of the Prairie style buildings. The house is considered the finest surviving example of Maher'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...
suburb of Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The large, Prairie style
Prairie School
Prairie School was a late 19th and early 20th century architectural style, most common to the Midwestern United States.The works of the Prairie School architects are usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in horizontal bands,...
mansion was designed by architect George Washington Maher and completed in 1897. The house was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on June 19, 1972. Exactly 24 years later, in 1996, it was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
by the United States Department of the Interior
United States Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior is the United States federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native...
.
History
Pleasant Home, historically known as the John Farson House, derives its common name from its location, at the intersection of Pleasant Street and Home Avenue in Oak Park. It was built and designed by prominent Prairie SchoolPrairie School
Prairie School was a late 19th and early 20th century architectural style, most common to the Midwestern United States.The works of the Prairie School architects are usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in horizontal bands,...
architect George W. Maher
George W. Maher
George Washington Maher was a significant contributor to the Prairie School-style of architecture during the first-quarter of the 20th century. He also was known for blending the traditional with the Arts & Crafts-style. According to architectural historian H...
in 1897. The house was constructed for John Farson, who lived in the house from 1897 until 1908. In 1908 the home's most recent private owner, Herbert S. Mills, bought the house and stayed there until he sold it to the Park District of Oak Park in 1939.
Restoration began on the house in 1966 with a US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
26,000 rewiring project. In 1970, at a cost of more than $40,000, a number of tasks were completed in the restoration process. On the home's exterior, the fascia
Fascia (architecture)
Fascia is a term used in architecture to refer to a frieze or band running horizontally and situated vertically under the roof edge or which forms the outer surface of a cornice and is visible to an outside observer...
and soffit
Soffit
Soffit , in architecture, describes the underside of any construction element...
were rebuilt as needed and the roof was repaired as well. Also on the exterior, the wood surfaces were repainted. The repairs were conducted in a manner consistent with the original design and construction of the building.
Significance
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
; it was added on June 19, 1972. In addition to the structure's individual listing on the National Register it was listed as a contributing property
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
to the Ridgeland-Oak Park Historic District
Ridgeland-Oak Park Historic District
The Ridgeland-Oak Park Historic District is a historic district in Oak Park, Illinois that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. It includes 1558 contributing buildings over ....
when the district was added to the National Register in 1983. On June 19, 1996 Pleasant Home was declared a U.S. National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
. Two days prior to the National Historic Landmark designation the village of Oak Park's village board declared the John Farson house an Oak Park Landmark. The Farson House is among the earliest of the Prairie style buildings. The house is considered the finest surviving example of Maher's work.