The William W. Kimball House features a distinctive limestone facade and a soaring, rounded tower that catches the light differently than the surrounding brick homes. Built in eighteen ninety-two for the wealthy piano manufacturer, it…
Gilded Age Mansion Walk
This walk takes you through the quiet historic enclave of the Prairie Avenue District, Chicago's original Millionaire's Row, where Gilded Age industrial barons built their opulent stone fortress-mansions.
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1. William W. Kimball House
2. Glessner House
The Glessner House stands out because its exterior walls turn inward, presenting a fortress of smooth pinkish granite to the street with almost no windows. When John and Frances Glessner built this home in eighteen eighty-seven, they…
3. Elbridge G Keith House
The Elbridge G. Keith house stands out in the Prairie District for its heavy, rusticated limestone base and the expansive arched windows along its facade. Built in eighteen seventy-one, it survived the Great Chicago Fire because it sat…
4. Marshall Field Jr Mansion
The Marshall Field Junior Mansion in the Prairie District features a limestone facade topped by a distinct, steeply pitched roofline punctuated by decorative dormers. Built in nineteen oh two, the home served as the residence for the heir…
5. William H. Reid House
The William H. Reid House features a distinctive, bowed limestone facade that curves gently toward the street, a rare design choice among the neighborhood's square-fronted townhomes. Built in eighteen ninety-four, the residence replaced a…
6. The Wheeler Mansion
The Wheeler Mansion stands out because it is one of the few survivors of a vanished neighborhood. While the houses around it burned in the great fire or were demolished for commercial high-rises, this limestone residence held its ground.…