Frank Lloyd Wright House, Among Chicago’s Most Endangered Buildings, Bought By Nonprofit

The West Side’s only single-family location designed by famed designer Frank Lloyd Wright is owed for a multimillion-dollar refresh nether caller ownership aft spending years successful disrepair.

West Side nonprofit Austin Coming Together announced Wednesday that it purchased nan J.J. Walser House astatine 42 N. Central Ave., which Wright designed for nan Austin existent property developer for which nan location is named.

The house, built successful 1903 successful Wright’s signature Prairie Style, became a metropolis landmark successful 1984, but it has sat successful deteriorating information and was nan taxable of foreclosure proceedings since its longtime proprietor died successful 2019. The nonprofit is now readying to undertake restoration efforts expected to costs millions.

“The J.J. Walser House is portion of Austin’s story, and we judge its adjacent section should beryllium shaped by nan group who telephone this organization home,” Darnell Shields, executive head of Austin Coming Together, said successful a statement.

The location was antecedently owned by Hurley and Anne Teague since their 1970 purchase, according to Austin Coming Together. Following Anne Teague’s 2019 death, nan spot sat vacant for years. Without an heir who could salary for nan property’s upkeep, it yet fell into disrepair.

Last year, nan location was named to some Chicago’s “most endangered properties” database by Preservation Chicago and Illinois’ Most Endangered Historic Places database by Landmark Illinois.

The location has structural damage, including holes successful nan foundation, nan preservation agencies reported past year. The Teague family has publically advocated for an entity to measurement successful to sphere nan home.

“When my grandparents purchased nan Walser home, it represented upwardly mobile Black group establishing legacies for their families and creating a blueprint for location ownership successful nan Black community,” Charisse J. Grossley & Johnny Teague, heirs of Anne Teague, said successful a connection accompanying its inclusion successful Landmark Illinois’ report. “The preservation of this landmark is basal not only for its humanities worth to nan organization but besides for its imaginable to amended early generations.”

Since its longtime owners’ death, nan location fell into foreclosure. The Federal National Mortgage Association, nan national government-back owe holder known arsenic Fannie Mae, took power of nan Walser location successful January, spot records show.

The agency past sold nan spot successful April to Community Initiatives Inc, a vicinity revitalization group, records show. Austin Coming Together past purchased nan location for $125,000, pinch $60,000 coming from Chicago’s Troubled Buildings Initiative, according to Crain’s. The waste is not yet publically listed successful spot records.

Crain’s reported that Austin Coming Together is looking to fundraise for a rehab of nan home, estimated to beryllium betwixt $2.7 cardinal to $3.5 million, including arsenic overmuch arsenic $575,000 that’s needed to stabilize nan property.

“Our first work is to stabilize this treasured landmark and protect it from further deterioration. From there, we will activity pinch residents and partners to envision a early that honors some nan location and nan community,” Shields said successful nan statement.

The Austin nonprofit is joining different developments on nan Central Avenue corridor, specified arsenic nan precocious opened Aspire Center For Workforce Innovation crossed nan thoroughfare astatine 5500 W. Madison St. Its activity said it views nan location arsenic a “historic plus pinch nan imaginable to anchor preservation, education, taste pride, and organization on 1 of nan neighborhood’s cardinal corridors.”

Austin Coming Together said it plans to stock updates connected adjacent steps and organization engagement opportunities related to nan J.J. Walser House connected nan project’s website.

___

This communicative was primitively published by Block Club Chicago and distributed done a business pinch The Associated Press.