Department of Planning and Development city of chicago
December 9, 2019
The Honorable Anna M. Valencia City Clerk City of Chicago Room 107, City Hall 121 North LaSalle Street Chicago, IL 60602
RE: Recommendation for designation of the John Nuveen House as a Chicago Landmark, 3916 N. Tripp Avenue
Dear Clerk Valencia:
We are filing with your office for introduction at the December 18, 2019, City Council meeting as a transmittal to the Mayor and City Council of Chicago the recommendation of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks that the John Nuveen House be designated as a Chicago Landmark.
The material being submitted to you for this proposal includes the:
Recommendation of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks; and
Proposed Ordinance.
Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
Kathleen E. Dickhut Bureau Chief
Bureau of Planning, Historic Preservation & Sustainability Department of Planning and Development
ends.
Alderman Jim Gardiner, 45th Ward (via email without enclosure)
121 NORTH LASALLE STREET, ROOM 1000, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60602
ORDINANCE
John Nuveen House 3916 North Tripp Avenue
WHEREAS, pursuant to the procedures set forth in the Municipal Code of Chicago (the "Municipal Code"), Sections 2-120-630 through -690, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks (the "Commission") has determined that the John Nuveen House (the "Building"), located at 3916 North Tripp Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, legally described in Exhibit A attached hereto and incorporated herein, satisfies three (3) criteria for landmark designation as set forth in Section 2-120-620 (1), (3), and (4) ofthe Municipal Code; and
WHEREAS, the Building, with its wide lot, large size, and picturesque Queen Anne style of architecture represents the Irving Park neighborhood's early stage of development as one of Chicago's "railroad suburbs" in the 19th century; and
WHEREAS, the construction of this large, Queen Anne-style house by young entrepreneur John Nuveen reflects both the architectural and social character of suburban-style neighborhoods that developed around Chicago in the late-nineteenth century; and
WHEREAS, the Building is significant for its original owner, John Nuveen, who was an important figure in Chicago's economic history. In 1898 Nuveen founded his own investment banking firm in Chicago, John Nuveen & Co., which became a nationally significant investment bank by the mid-twentieth century; and
WHEREAS, John Nuveen & Co. became a national leader in the municipal bond market which helped cities, counties, and states across the nation fund infrastructure improvements; and
WHEREAS, the Building is an excellent example of residential architecture in the Queen Anne style, an architectural style of great significance in the history of Chicago and the United States. It possesses numerous features characteristic to the style, including a prominent corner tower, projecting bays, a large porch, and an irregular roofline; and
WHEREAS, the building possesses a high quality of design and building materials, and excellent craftsmanship in traditional materials including millwork and art glass; and
WHEREAS, on November 7, 2019, the Commission adopted a resolution recommending to the City Council of the City of Chicago (the "City Council") that the Building be designated a Chicago Landmark; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO: SECTION 1. The above recitals are hereby adopted as the findings of the City Council.
SECTION 2. The Building is hereby designated a Chicago Landmark in accordance with Section 2-120-700 ofthe Municipal Code.
|1010|
SECTION 3. For purposes of Sections 2-120-740 and 2-120-770 of the Municipal Code governing permit review, the significant historical and architectural features of the Building are identified as:
• All exterior elevations, including rooflines, ofthe Building.
SECTION 4. The Commission is hereby directed to create a suitable plaque appropriately identifying the Building as a Chicago Landmark.
SECTION 5. If any provision of this ordinance shall be held to be invalid or unenforceable for any reason, the invalidity or unenforceability of such provision shall not affect any of the other provisions of this ordinance.
SECTION 6. All ordinances, resolutions, motions or orders in conflict with this ordinance ' are hereby repealed to the extent of such conflict.
SECTION 7. This ordinance shall take effect upon its passage and approval.
|1010|
EXHIBIT A
Building Address:
3914-3918 North Tripp Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60641
Permanent Index Number(s):
13-22-201-017-0000 13-22-201-020-0000
Legal Description (subject to final title and survey):
THE NORTH 6 FEET OF LOT 16 AND ALL OF LOT 17 IN PEARSON'S RESUBDIVISION OF BLOCK 31 IN IRVING PARK, BEING A SUBDIVISION OF THE SOUTHEAST 1/4 OF SECTION 15, AND PART OF THE NORTHEAST 1/4 OF SECTION 22, TOWNSHIP 40 NORTH, RANGE 13, EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, ALL IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
|1010|
I
CITY OF CHICAGO COMMISSION ON CHICAGO LANDMARKS
November 7, 2019
RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL OF CHICAGO THAT CHICAGO LANDMARK DESIGNATION BE ADOPTED FOR THE
JOHN NUVEEN HOUSE 3916-3918 North Tripp Avenue
Docket No. 2019-06
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago:
Pursuant to Section 2-120-690 of the Municipal Code of the City of Chicago (the "Municipal Code"), the Commission on Chicago Landmarks (the "Commission") has determined that the John Nuveen House (the "Building") is worthy of Chicago Landmark designation. On the basis of careful consideration of the history and architecture of the Building, the Commission has found that it satisfies the following three (3) criteria set forth in Section 2-120-620 of the Municipal Code:
/. Its value as an example of the architectural, cultural, economic, historic, social, or other aspect of the heritage ofthe City of Chicago, State of Illinois, or the United States.
Its identification with a person or persons who significantly contributed to the architectural, cultural, economic, historic, social, or other aspect ofthe development of the City of Chicago, State of Illinois, or the United States.
Its exemplification of an architectural type or style distinguished by innovation, rarity, uniqueness, or overall quality of design, detail, materials, or craftsmanship.
I. BACKGROUND
On December 6, 2018, the Historic Preservation Division received an application to demolish the Building. The Building was rated "orange'* in the Chicago Historic Resources Survey and was therefore subject to the 90-day Demolition Delay Ordinance. As is standard practice during Demolition Delay, staff evaluated the Building against the legal criteria for landmark designation and determined that it met criteria for landmark designation.
The formal landmark designation process forthe Building began on March 7, 2019, when the Commission approved a preliminary landmark recommendation (the "Preliminary Recommendation") for the Building as a Chicago Landmark. The Commission found that the
Building meets three (3) of the seven (7) criteria for designation, as well as the integrity criterion, identified in the Chicago Landmarks Ordinance (Municipal Code, Section 2-120-580 et seq.). The Preliminary Recommendation, incorporated herein and attached hereto as Exhibit A, , initiated the process for further study and analysis of the proposed designation of the Building as a Chicago Landmark. As part of the Preliminary Recommendation, the Commission identified the "significant historical and architectural features" of the Building as:
• All exterior elevations, including rooflines, of the Building.
Also, as part ofthe Preliminary Recommendation, the Commission adopted a Designation Report, dated March 7, 2019, the most current iteration of which is dated November 7, 2019, incorporated herein and attached hereto as Exhibit B (the "Designation Report").
At its regular meeting of April 4, 2019, the Commission received a report from David Reifman, then Commissioner ofthe Department of Planning and Development (DPD), supporting the proposed landmark designation ofthe Building. This report is incorporated herein and attached hereto as Exhibit C.
On April 5, 2019, the Commission officially requested consent to the proposed landmark designation from the owners of the Building. On May 8, 2019, the owner requested a 120-day extension of the request-for-consent period, an extension provided for in the Municipal Code. The extension was granted and the owner was notified that the expiration of the request-for-consent period was extended until September 17, 2019. The owner has not submitted written consent to the designation.
Upon the end of the consent period, as required by the Chicago Landmarks Ordinance, the Commission notified the owner of the Building in a letter dated September 20, 2019, of a public hearing on the proposed designation scheduled for October 16, 2019. Notices ofthe time and date of the hearing were also (a) posted on a sign in the right-of-way in front of the Building, and (b) published as a legal notice in the Chicago Sun-Times, as required by the Chicago Landmarks Ordinance. A notice was also posted on the DPD web site.
II. PUBLIC HEARING
The hearing was convened, as scheduled and noticed, on Wednesday, October 16, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. at City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St., Rm. 1103. Commission member Gabriel Dziekiewicz served as Hearing Officer, assisted by Michael Gaynor, Supervising Assistant Corporation Counsel of the Real Estate and Land Use Division of the City's Law Department, as legal counsel to the Commission, and Dijana Cuvalo, head ofthe Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Planning and Development. The hearing was conducted in accordance with the Commission's Rules and Regulations, specifically Article II regarding the conduct of public hearings for landmark designation.
The Commission staffs presentation recommending the proposed landmark designation was given by Kandalyn Hahn, Project Coordinator, and Matt Crawford, Coordinating Planner and author of the preliminary summary.
|1010|
At the conclusion of the staff presentation, the Commission's Rules and Regulations allow property owners, regardless of whether they request party status, to question the staff and/or the staffs expert. Counsel for the owner ofthe Building asked staff about the contributions John Nuveen made to history of Chicago. Staff responded that Mr. Nuveen's significance was at the national level, though that in Chicago he helped finance the work ofthe South Parks Commission and the construction of Wacker Drive.
No members of the public requested party status.
Four members of the general public made statements in support ofthe landmark designation, including a representative of Preservation Chicago. One member ofthe general public made a statement in opposition to the designation.
The transcript (the "Hearing Transcript") and related exhibits from the public hearing are incorporated herein and attached hereto.
III. FINDINGS OF THE COMMISSION ON CHICAGO LANDMARKS
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 2-120-690 of the Municipal Code, the Commission shall determine whether to recommend the proposed landmark designation to City Council within 30 days after the conclusion of a public hearing; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 2-120-690 of the Municipal Code, the Commission has reviewed the entire record of proceedings on the proposed Chicago Landmark designation, including the Designation Report, the DPD Report, the Hearing Transcript and all of the information on the proposed landmark designation of the Building; and
WHEREAS, the Building meets the three (3) criteria for landmark designation set forth in Section 2-120-620 (1), (3) and (4) ofthe Municipal Code; and
WHEREAS, with its wide lot, large size, and picturesque Queen Anne style of architecture, the Building represents the Irving Park neighborhood's early stage of development as one of Chicago's "railroad suburbs'" in the nineteenth century; and
WHEREAS, the construction of this large, Queen Anne style house by young entrepreneur John Nuveen reflects both the architectural and social character of suburban-style neighborhoods that developed around Chicago in the late-nineteenth century; and
WHEREAS, the Building is significant for its original owner, John Nuveen, who was an important figure in Chicago's economic history. In 1898 Nuveen founded his own investment banking firm in Chicago, John Nuveen & Co., which became a nationally-significant investment bank by the mid-twentieth century; and
WHEREAS, John Nuveen & Co. became a national leader in the municipal bond market which helped cities, counties, and states across the nation fund infrastructure improvements; and
|1010|
WHEREAS, the Building is an excellent example of residential architecture in the Queen Anne style, an architectural style of great significance in the history of Chicago and the United States. It possesses numerous features characteristic to the style, including a prominent corner tower, projecting bays, a large porch, and an irregular roofline; and
WHEREAS, the Building possesses a high quality of design, building materials and excellent craftsmanship in traditional materials including millwork and art glass; and
WHEREAS, consistent with Section 2-120-630 ofthe Municipal Code, the Building has a significant historic, community, architectural, or aesthetic interest or value, the integrity of which is preserved in light of its location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, and ability to express such historic, community, architectural, or aesthetic interest or value; now, therefore,
THE COMMISSION ON CHICAGO LANDMARKS HEREBY:
Incorporates the preamble and Sections I, II and III into its findings; and
Adopts the Final Designation Report, as revised, and dated this 7th day of November,
2019;and
Finds, based on the Designation Report, the DPD Report, the Hearing Transcript and the entire record before the Commission, that the Building meets the three (3) criteria for landmark designation set forth in Sections 2-120-620 (1), (3) and (4) of the Municipal Code; and
Finds that the Building satisfies the "integrity" requirement set forth in Section 2-120-630 of the Municipal Code; and
Finds that the significant historical and architectural features of the Building are identified as follows:
• All exterior elevations, including rooflines, of the Building.
6. Recommends that the Building be designated a Chicago Landmark.
This recommendation was adopted C *"* Q )
Rafael M. Leon, Chairman Commission on Chicago Landmarks
EXHIBIT A
Resolution by the
Commission on Chicago Landmarks on the
Preliminary Landmark Recommendation for the
JOHN NUVEEN HOUSE
3916-3918 N. Tripp Avenue (evens)
March 7, 2019
Whereas, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks (the "Commission") preliminarily finds that:
• the John Nuveen House (the "Building"), located at the address noted above, meets the three (3) criteria for landmark designation set forth in Section 2-120-620 (1), (3) and (4) ofthe Municipal Code of Chicago (the "Municipal Code"), as specifically described in the Preliminary Summary of Information submitted to the Commission on this 7th day of March, 2019, by the Department of Planning and Development (the "Preliminary Summary"); and
• the Building satisfies the historic integrity requirement set forth in Section 2-120-630 ofthe Municipal Code as described in the Preliminary Summary; now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks:
Section 1. The above recitals are expressly incorporated in and made part of this resolution as though fully set forth herein.
Section 2. The Commission hereby adopts the Preliminary Summary and makes a preliminary landmark recommendation concerning the Building in accordance with Section 2-120-630 ofthe Municipal Code.
Section 3. For purposes of Section 2-120-740 of the Municipal Code governing permit review, the significant historical and architectural features of the Building are preliminarily identified as:
• All exterior elevations, including rooflines, of the Building.
Section 4. The Commission hereby requests a report or statement from the Commissioner of the Department of Planning and Development which evaluates the relationship of the proposed designation to the City's governing plans and policies and the effect of the proposed designation on the surrounding neighborhood in accordance with Section 2-120-640 of the Municipal Code.
This recommendation was adopted^ x /y\ .(t^v^nr^^o-^^^ C 5 ® ^) .
Rafaw M. Leon, Chairman Commission on Chicago Landmarks
Dated: _^JL^cJ^.^ O I «? ^
Exhibit B
LANDMARK DESIGNATION REPORT
3916 N. Tripp Avenue John Nuveen, Sr. (1864-1948)
John Nuveen House
3916 N. Tripp Avenue
CITY OF CHICAGO Lori E. Lightfoot, Mayor
Department of Planning and Development Maurice D. Cox, Commissioner
Cover Photo of John Nuveen, Credit: The Prairie Bondman: A Corporate Biography ofthe John Nuveen Company on the Occasion of Its Centennial Celebration.
|1010|Table of Contents
Building Location Map|910|Building Design and Construction|910|The Queen Anne Architectural Style|910|
Architect Clarence H. Tabor|910|
"Railroad Suburbs" and The Devel-
opment of Irving Park 10
John Nuveen 13
Criteria for Designation 16
Significant Historical and
Architectural Features 18
Bibliography 19
|1010|John Nuveen House
3916 N. Tripp Ave. Built: 1892
Architect: Possibly Clarence H. Tabor
Built in 1892, the John Nuveen House is a picturesque Queen Anne style house that reflects the historic development of the Irving Park neighborhood as a "railroad suburb" of substantial, single-family houses on oversized lots. In the late-19th century upper- and middle-class Chicago families were drawn to a series of new neighborhoods on the Northwest Side like Irving Park that developed around two rail lines that offered commuter rail service for white collar workers in the Loop. These communities grew as real estate developers promoted the neighborhood's large lots, its distance from the city's congestion and pollution, and its excellent transportation. After the Chicago Fire of 1871, Irving Park gained greater recognition for maintaining its "suburban-ness" as people rushed to replace property lost in the fire.
Architecturally, the John Nuveen House is an excellent example of the Queen Anne style of architecture. This picturesque late Victorian style, popular in the 1880s and 90s, is found in almost every city and town in the United States. Buildings in the Queen Anne style have asymmetrical shapes characterized by bays and prominent, varied rooflines. In Chicago, it was used for many houses and commercial buildings, with concentrations found in neighborhoods that originally developed as suburbs and which were later annexed to the City of Chicago. Character -defining features ofthe style displayed by the John Nuveen House include its irregular roof-line, corner tower with pyramidal roof, large front porch and variety of ornament.
The house is also significant for its original owner, John Nuveen, who made a significant contribution to Chicago's economic history. When he built the house in 1892, Nuveen was an ambitious 28-year-old salesman who in 1898 founded his own investment banking firm in Chicago, John Nuveen & Co., which became a nationally-significant investment bank in the mid-20th century.
|1010|W IRVING PARK RD
W BYRON ST
? ?
?
?
L
?
n
Shown in black, the John Nuveen House is located at 3916 N. Tripp Ave. in the Irving Park Community Area. The building outlines show how the Nuveen House and its neighbors are sited with deep setbacks from the street on large lots, revealing the neighborhood's initial development as a residential suburb.
|1010|Building Design and Construction
The City of Chicago issued a building permit for the house to John Nuveen on May 28, 1892, with an estimated construction cost of $5,000. (At the time the address was 2385 Selvin Avenue; in 1895 the street was renamed to 42nd Court before finally becoming Tripp Avenue in 1913.) Construction of the house was completed in three months. As was typical for permit records from this time, the architect was not identified, though the design ofthe house is attributed to architect Clarence H. Tabor.
The house is located in the Irving Park neighborhood on an oversized lot measuring 165' by 50' reflecting the neighborhood's historic development as a suburban-style neighborhood. Though the house is located less than one block from Irving Park Road, its setting is residential with nearby detached houses of a similar vintage set on similarly large lots with mature trees. The 2-1/2 story and raised basement house measures approximately 40' by 80'. The ground plan of the building is irregular with a corner tower, projecting bays and recessed wall surfaces. Similarly, the elevations are asymmetrical with projecting bays and gables, a corner tower and one-story front porch.
The house is oriented with the front elevation and primary facade facing east onto an ample front yard and N. Tripp Avenue, a lightly-traveled residential street. The house rests on a rusticated Joliet limestone foundation with small, punched window openings. Above the basement, the roof, wall and floor structures are balloon-frame built up with dimensional lumber. The exterior walls are clad with narrow-lap wood clapboard and areas of decorative wood shingles; the roof is covered in green asphalt shingles. The windows are primarily one-over-one double-hung wood sash with decorative wood casing and hood molding. High quality clear and colored leaded art-glass windows decorate some of the windows.
The house is topped with a steeply pitched, cross-gabled roof with lower pyramidal roofs topping the front facing corner tower and projecting window bay. There is a single brick chimney at the gable crossing.
The front facade is dominated by a square corner tower set at 90 degrees to the rest ofthe plan and rising the full height of the structure. The tower is topped with a band of small rectangular casement windows and a steeply pitched pyramidal roof with a decorative metal finial. A flared band of half-circle-and-diamond shingles wraps around the tower between the first and second floors. The first floor ofthe tower has large casement windows topped with art glass transoms.
Next to the tower, a raised one-story porch is approached by a flight of wood stairs leading to the main entrance to the house. The paneled entrance door is set into a projecting bay and is flanked on either side with double-hung windows glazed with leaded-glass. The entrance porch roof features a flat roof carried by decorated columns with spindled brackets. A wood balustrade with handrail wraps around the first floor porch deck and roof level.
Given the large lot upon which the house sits, the long north and south side elevations of the house are largely visible from the public way. The north elevation features a small oculus art-glass window and a large projecting gable decorated with alternating bands of decorative wood
|1010|The front elevation of the house features a large corner tower and a raised porch leading to the paneled entrance door set in a projecting bay. The balloon-frame structure is sheathed in narrow clapboard and shingles. Large double hung windows are glazed with clear glass and accented with art glass transoms.
Looking down the side yard along the south elevation with its projecting bay and the buildings Joliet limestone ashlar foundation walls
The side elevation facing north features an oculus window and a projecting bay topped with a pediment with bands of shingles.
shingles. A driveway along the north elevation leads to a frame garage set behind the house. The south elevation is marked by a three-sided projecting bay rising the full-height ofthe building and topped with a pyramidal roof. The west-facing rear elevation is not visible from the public way.
John Nuveen moved into the house in August 1892 and resided there for three years with his mother and sister. In 1895 John Nuveen moved out ofthe house when he married Ida Straw-bridge and moved to the Grand Boulevard neighborhood. Nuveen's mother and sister remained in the house on Tripp until as late as 1914.
The Queen Anne Architectural Style
The Nuveen House exemplifies the Queen Anne style of architecture. The style was eclectic and highly popular for domestic architecture built between the late 1860s and 1890s in England and America. The style was originally conceived in England in the 1860s and 1870s and was based on late-Medieval architecture of the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods ofthe late 16th and 17th centuries. As adapted by American architects, the Queen Anne style is a visually rich and diverse style.
Queen Anne-style buildings can range from elaborate multi-towered mansions and commercial buildings with a plethora of applied ornament, to simply-planned and detailed smaller houses and cottages. What unifies these diverse buildings are a dependence on asymmetrical composition and a wide array of decorative forms, materials and textures. Architectural features can include towers, turrets, tall chimneys, projecting pavilions, porches, bays and encircling verandahs. Ornament can be in wood, metal, terra cotta, or stone, and range from the simplest wooden spindle work to elaborate terra cotta and pressed-metal details.
Architect Clarence H. Tahor
The architect for the Nuveen House is not documented, however it may be Clarence H. Tabor, an architect who designed several other Queen Anne style houses in the surrounding neighborhood, including the Charles N. Loucks House, a designated Chicago Landmark at 3926 N. Keeler Avenue from 1891. John Nuveen knew Loucks as he purchased the lot for his house him.
Additionally, Tabor published a catalog of 17 house designs in 1891 entitled Tabor's Modern Homes: An Illustrated Semi-Annual of Practical and Modern Designs. This architectural pattern book included "Design Number 11" which strongly resembles the overall design ofthe Nuveen House which was built a year after the catalog was published. Tabor also advertised in the Chicago Tribune in 1891 and his ad featured a rendering ofthe same design.
Little is known about Pennsylvania-born architect Clarence H. Tabor (c. 1857-?). In addition to his publication, Tabor maintained his architectural office in the Chicago Opera House Building (located at Clark and Washington streets, demolished). A few brief articles appeared in the mid-1890s which mention Tabor's contribution to the city's real-estate developments, such as 36 single-family homes near 72nd St. and Eggleston Ave. Whether these were ever built is unknown. Tabor remained in Chicago until after the turn ofthe century, then relocated to Brooklyn, New York, and formed the C. H. Tabor Land Improvement Company.
|1010|it
It is possible that the John Nuveen House was designed by architect Clarence H. Tabor who in 1891 published Tabor's Modern Homes: An Illustrated Semi-Annual of Practical and Modern Designs. Design number 11 in that publication, shown at left and below, bears a strong resemblance to the John Nuveen House.
¦ piac
|10 10|His firm continued to design homes for real estate developments in the New York area well into the 1950s.
"Railroad Suburbs" and The Development of Iriving Park
The Nuveen House reflects the historic development of the Irving Park neighborhood as a "railroad suburb" in the late-19th century. Though slightly archaic, the term "railroad suburb" historically referred to a residential community that developed and prospered during the late-19th century based on access to commuter rail service to urban centers. During the last four decades ofthe 19th century, rail service had a strong influence on the patterns of urban settlement, as real estate speculators began to plan outlying communities around commuter railroads. Developers sold large lots for the construction of single-family houses, and often sold land at discounts to civic and religious institutions that would build in the area and help attract middle-and upper-class families to these new railroad suburbs.
The present-day Irving Park neighborhood grew from a consolidation of three early suburban settlements within Jefferson Township: Irving Park, Grayland and Montrose (later called May-fair). Comprised of a total of 15 small settlements, the township was officially formed in 1850, despite the fact that most of its 700 citizens had settled in the area in the 1830s. Jefferson's town hall was built in 1857 on land donated by John Gray, a farmer and businessman who was elected Cook County Sheriff shortly after the town hall was completed.
In 1869, New York businessman Charles T. Race purchased 160 acres from Major Noble, whose father bought land in the area in 1833. Race's intent was to become a gentleman farmer, but decided it would be more profitable to develop a settlement on the land. That same year his son, Richard T. Race, purchased an adjacent parcel of 80 acres from John Gray, assisting his father in this new business venture. Charles Race also took on additional family members and investors, each bringing with them additional acreage. The new settlement was to have been called "Irvington" in honor of the New York author, Washington Irving, but it was already in use by another Illinois town. "Irving Park" was eventually decided upon, and with their combined land resources, they organized the Irving Park Land and Building Company.
Early on, the company marketed to those who desired to escape the noise and grime ofa burgeoning population in Chicago. Initially, the Chicago & North Western Railroad, whose tracks were in close proximity to the land, didn't stop there; however, Charles Race persuaded the railroad to make stops in Irving Park in exchange for Race paying to have the depot built. The railroad agreed, and soon houses sprang up around the depot, establishing the first railroad suburb in Jefferson Township. Shortly thereafter, the desperate need of new homes in the aftermath of the Chicago Fire of 1871 spurred rapid growth to the area. Subsequently the Irving Park Land and Building Company routinely mentioned the railroad's frequency to the area, and printed train timetables in their advertisements.
Annexation to the City of Chicago, as a part ofthe whole Jefferson Township in 1889, brought some necessary infrastructure improvements to Irving Park such as paved streets, adequate sew-
10
An 1874 map indicating the Irving Park, Grayland and Montrose railroad suburbs in Jefferson Township. New York developer Charles Race, Irving Park's founder, persuaded the Chicago & North Western Railroad to make regular stops in exchange for providing payment for the train depot.
Credit. Chamberlin, Chicago and its Suburbs.
ll
Credit: Old Irving Park Historical Society
Top: A historic photo ofthe Irving Park settlement in what was then Jefferson Township. This early-1880s view looks south along Irving Park Blvd. The Chicago & North Western Railroad tracks are in the foreground.
Right: An advertisement for the Irving Park Land and Building Company, 1874. Charles T. Race founded the Irving Park settlement in 1869, and after the depot was built, advertised train timetables or mentioned the frequency of trains to the area.
IRVING PARK
Lmrtr nnt> ISttlCoing tfompanij.
MOUSES /or Sale tn 1*11$ Time /; Ttrms tn Suit,
Mu.Ufcv ro L' tox Uuiliiim; J'iikiu,k*.
AT IRVING PARK.
A Desirable Rksidenck I'i.ack.
With \T*ur W«il» in cei«jj«ta woiVifii tetlr, niu]SHADV STREKTS. KINK SCHOOLS, <;|IUKCI!KS AKD STORKS.
(Wy St Mite* (Men cefiisr «r Ctitaf a, r«.\rti«il N»Dnn.l in t»'«ntr mleute*. ce»n^taliao Cit* aQuca cull*.
tXA»o n Ana nm emrioD mailt etsit nni w m m.
C T. RACli, Irving Park, v
It. T. HACK. " " I l'ro|ifUtmrs.
S. A. RACli, Now V'Ork. ?
R. T. RACE & CO.,
REAL ESTATE, LOAN AND NOTE
Brokers,
Afaidim Strut. Ream i. CHICAGO, ILL.
Credit: Posada, "Suburb into Neighborhood The Transformation of Urban Identity on Chicago's Periphery"
12
ers, and more electric and telephone lines. But while now nominally Chicagoans, the citizens still thought of themselves as "from Irving Park," not Chicago. The strong bonds forged by local church, school, social, and charitable activities were already firmly established.
Irving Park experienced a boom between 1900 and 1920. Indicative of this is the Villa neighborhood, a Chicago Landmark District of brick and stucco bungalows located in the triangular area defined by Addison, Pulaski, and Avondale. Between 1907 and 1925, Prairie- and Craftsman-style houses were constructed in the Villa, with overhanging porches and slightly sloping gable roofs.
The Prairie School had a strong effect on Irving Park architecture. Walter Burley Griffin designed the handsome, stucco-clad house at 4731 N. Knox in 1906. Three years later, Dwight Perkins was the architect for Grover Cleveland Public School at 3832 N. Albany, followed by Carl Schurz High School (a designated Chicago Landmark) at 3601 N. Milwaukee in 1910.
By the 1920s, Irving Park was largely built up, although the area east of Kedzie—known as California Park—remained sparsely settled. Retail streets, such as Irving Park and Milwaukee, filled with new buildings, including the Art Deco-style store and flats at 4025 N. Pulaski. Meanwhile, modern apartment buildings, such as 4128 N. Keystone began to fill the residential streets.
After World War II, a manufacturing area grew up along Addison, from the Chicago & North Western railroad tracks east to Kedzie. The construction ofthe Kennedy Expressway and the O'Hare rapid transit (Blue) line in the 1950s and 1960s destroyed some of the area's oldest buildings, but also brought additional transportation options to the community's residents.
John Nuveen (1864-1948)
3916 N. Tripp Avenue is significant for its association with John Nuveen who built it as a residence for himself, his mother and sister in 1892. Six years later, he established John Nuveen & Co. which helped states and local governments, primarily in the Midwest and West, borrow money for schools and infrastructure by selling municipal bonds to investors. By the mid-20th Century, Nuveen's company became a primary source of capital for cities, counties and states that were all undertaking major infrastructure improvements.
John Nuveen was born in Germany and immigrated to Chicago with his parents John and Margaret
John Nuveen in 1894, two years after he built his house at 3916 N. Tripp Avenue.
Credit: The Prairie Bondman: A Corporate Biography of the John Nuveen Company on the Occasion of Its Centennial Celebration.
13
Nuveen and three siblings when he was two. His father owned a dry goods store on Milwaukee Avenue and after graduating from West Division High School at age 18 Nuveen began working in his father's store and started taking law and accounting courses at a small business college. He studied for one term at the University of Chicago but never earned a degree.
In his twenties, Nuveen began working in sales for a wholesale grocery business that required extensive travel to towns and cities throughout the Midwest. As a young salesman Nuveen must have been successful such that by age 28 he was able to build the house at 3916 N. Tripp Avenue where he lived with his mother and sister following the death of his father. In 1895 Nuveen married Ida E. Strawbridge and moved from the house on Tripp Avenue, though his mother and sister would continue to live in the house until 1914.
Though he had no experience in investment banking, in 1898 Nuveen quit the wholesale grocery business and established in Chicago John Nuveen & Co. In his work as a traveling salesman Nuveen saw great economic potential and a need for capital in smaller cities and towns of the Midwest as well as less developed areas like Arizona, Oklahoma, Florida and California. Because Chicago was a railroad nexus, it was easy for Nuveen and his associates to reach these communities. Nuveen's earliest customers were small towns seeking $5,000 to $10,000, relatively small sums that failed to attract the attention of more established firms. Nuveen issued its first municipal bond for Bemidji, Minnesota for a $7,000 water system.
By 1915 John Nuveen & Co. had issued 900 municipal across 24 states. In Chicago, in 1919, John Nuveen and Co. began issuing yearly bond issues for the construction of Wacker Drive, a key feature of the Burnham's Plan of Chicago. In the 1920s, the company managed $5.5 million of the $8.5 million in bonds issued by the South Park Commission for Grant Park. In the same decade Nuveen pioneered the underwriting of bonds to parts ofthe country that were not yet states, including the then-territories of Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico and Alaska. In New Mexico, Nuveen innovated revenue bonds that allowed the highway system to be financed by tolls paid by users of the highway instead of a general tax.
During and after the Great Depression, John Nuveen & Co. specialized in financial instruments for the growing number of utilities and mass transit that were being transformed from private to public entities, as well as providing financing for municipal transit system and state highways and electrical utilities. In the 1940s the company began underwriting hospital revenue bonds that helped expand the health care industry in the postwar era. In the mid-twentieth century, John Nuveen and Co. financed mass transit improvements in a number of U.S. cities, including $90 million for equipment upgrades for the Chicago Transit Authority. The rise ofthe automobile in the mid-twentieth century led to a demand for municipal parking garages that John Nuveen and Co. helped cities finance, including the underground parking garage beneath Chicago's Grant Park.
Aside from his successful career in the municipal bond market, John Nuveen was active in the Baptist religious community and in a number of social and civic organizations including the Cook County Social Service Association, the YMCA and Pacific Garden Mission. With Ida (Strawbridge) Nuveen he had one son, John Nuveen, Jr. (1896-1968).who followed his father's footsteps in investment banking and the Baptist religion. After World War If, the younger
14
A brochure published by John Nuveen & Co. in 1924 to market municipal bonds in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Nuveen specialized in new markets like this as well as small towns in the Midwest and West that were overlooked by larger banks
ESTABLISHED LSOfl
JOHX JfTJVEEJf &CO.
MUNICIPAL COUNTY & SCHOOL
Credit: The Prairie Bondman: A Corporate Biography ofthe John Nuveen Company on the Occasion of Its Centennial Celebration.
Nuveen also served as a diplomat in the Marshall Plan's Economic Cooperation Administration, an organization created to rebuild Europe after the war.
John Nuveen, Sr. died in 1948 though the company he founded continued to grow under the leadership of his son. As the country grew in the postwar era, John Nuveen & Co. played an important role in public infrastructure and utility expansion. After a decline in the bond market, Nuveen was purchased by the Minneapolis-based St. Paul Companies company in 1974. As a Chicago-based division of St. Paul, Nuveen began to specialize in asset management. At the end of the 20th century, Nuveen employed over 400 people in the Chicago area and had annual revenues close to $350 million.
15
Criteria for Designation
According to the Municipal Code of Chicago (Section 2-120-690). the Commission on Chicago Landmarks has the authority to make a recommendation of landmark designation for an area, district, place, building, structure, work of art or other object within the City of Chicago if the Commission determines it meets two or more ofthe stated "criteria for designation," as well as possess sufficient historic design integrity to convey its significance. The following should be considered by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks in determining whether to recommend that the Nuveen House be designated as a Chicago Landmark.
Criterion 1: Critical Part of the City's History
Its value as an example ofthe architectural, cultural, economic, historic, social, or other aspect of the heritage ofthe City of Chicago, State of Illinois or the United Stales.
With its wide lot, large size, and picturesque Queen Anne style of architecture, the John Nuveen House represents the Irving Park neighborhood's early stage of development as one of Chicago's "railroad suburbs" in the 19th century.
The construction of this large, Queen Anne style house by young entrepreneur John Nuveen reflects both the architectural and social character of suburban-style neighborhoods that developed around Chicago in the late-nineteenth century.
Criterion 3: Significant Person
Its identification with a person or persons who significantly contributed to the architectural, cultural, economic, historic, social, or other aspect ofthe development of the Cily of Chicago, State of Illinois, or the United States.
The John Nuveen House is significant for its original owner, John Nuveen, who was an important figure in Chicago's economic history. In 1898 Nuveen founded his own investment banking firm in Chicago, John Nuveen & Co., which became a nationally-significant investment bank by the mid-20th century.
John Nuveen & Co., company became a national leader in the municipal bond market which helped cities, counties and states across the nation fund infrastructure improvements.
Criterion 4: Important Architecture
Its exemplification of an architectural type or style distinguished by innovation, rarity, uniqueness, or overall quality of design, detail, materials, or craftsmanship.
The John Nuveen House is an excellent example of residential architecture in the Queen Anne style, an architectural style of great significance in the history of Chicago and the United States. It possesses numerous features characteristic to the style, including a prominent corner tower, projecting bays, a large porch and an irregular roofline.
The John Nuveen House possesses a high quality of design, building materials and excellent craftsmanship in traditional materials including millwork and art glass.
16
Integrity Criteria
The integrity of the proposed landmark must he preserved in light of its location, design, setting, materials, workmanship and ability lo express its historic community, architectural or aesthetic interest or value.
The John Nuveen House possesses good physical integrity, displayed through its siting, scale, overall design, and historic relationship to the surrounding area. It retains its historic overall exterior form and a majority of all exterior materials, features and detailing.
Changes to John Nuveen House are minor and include the replacement of the original roof cladding with asphalt shingles and replacement of the porch balustrades and railings. These changes are reversible and do not sufficiently detract from the house's ability to convey its historic and architectural value.
Credit: Old Irving Park Historical Society
A current photograph (left) ofthe John Nuveen House compared with a circa 1920s photograph (right) shows that the house retains good integrity.
17
Significant Historical and Architectural Features
Whenever a building, structure, object, or district is under consideration for landmark designation, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks is required to identify the "significant historical and architectural features" of the property. This is done to enable the owners and the public to understand which elements are considered most important to preserve the historical and architectural character of the proposed landmark.
Based on its evaluation of the John Nuveen House, the Commission staff recommends that the significant features be identified as:
• All exterior elevations, including rooflines, ofthe building.
A decorative metal finial tops the pyramidal roof of the corner tower at the John Nuveen House.
18
Selected Bibliography
Andreas. Alfred T. History of Cook County from the Earliest Period to the Present Time, Chicago: A. T. Andreas, 1884.
Chamberlin, Everett. Chicago and its Suburbs. Chicago: T. A. Hungerford & Co., 1874.
The Chicago Blue Book of Selected Names of Chicago and Suburban Towns: Containing the Names and Addresses of Prominent Residents, Arranged Alphabetically and Numerically by Streets, Membership List ofthe Leading Clubs, and Other Valuable Information. [Chicago]: Chicago Directory Co., 1895-1914.
Commission on Chicago Landmarks. "Charles N. Loucks House: Landmark Designation Report." Chicago: Commission on Chicago Landmarks, 2008.
Commission on Chicago Landmarks. "John & Clara Merchant House: Landmark Designation Report." Chicago: Commission on Chicago Landmarks, 2008.
Commission on Chicago Landmarks. "Stephen A. Race House: Preliminary Staff Summary of Information." Chicago: Commission on Chicago Landmarks, 1988.
Davis, Cullom, and Robert Klaus. The Prairie Bondman: A Corporate Biography of the John Nuveen Company on the Occasion of Its Centennial Celebration. Chicago, IL: The Company, 1996.
"The John Nuveen Company." International Directory of Company Histories, edited by Tina Grant and Jay P. Pederson, vol. 21, St. James Press, 1998, pp. 304-306. Gale Virtual Reference Library,
&sid=G VRL&xid=59985aed. Accessed 26 Dec. 2018.
Irving Park Historical Society. "Old Irving Park: History and Architecture." unpublished typescript by the Society, 27 Jan 1985.
Posadas, Barbara M "Suburb into Neighborhood: The Transformation of Urban Identity on Chicago's Periphery—Irving Park as a Case Study, 1870-1910." Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society 76 (Autumn 1983): 162-176.
. "A Home in the Country: Suburbanization in Jefferson Township, 1870-
1889." Chicago History 7:3 (Fall 1978): 134-149.
Tabor, Clarence H. Tabor's Modern Homes: An Illustrated Annual: Practical and Modern Designs for City and Suburban Residences, Apartment Buildings, Etc. Chicago: CH. Tabor, 1891.
19
Acknowledgments
CITY OF CHICAGO
Lori E. Lightfoot, Mayor
Department of Planning and Development
Maurice D. Cox, Commissioner
Kathy Dickhut, Bureau Chief, Bureau of Planning, Historic Preservation and Sustainability Project Staff
Kandalyn Hahn (project manager)
Matt Crawford, research and writing
Jessica Mavrogenes (intern), writing
Cameron Zelaya (intern), research, photography
Special thanks to Cathey Curley and Preservation Chicago for research assistance for this report.
The Commission on Chicago Landmarks, whose nine members are appointed by the Mayor and City Council, was established in 1968 by city ordinance. The Commission is responsible for recommending to the City Council that individual building, sites, objects, or entire districts be designated as Chicago Landmarks, which protects them by law. The Commission is staffed by the Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Planning, Design & Historic Preservation Division, City Hall, 121 North LaSalle Street, Room 1006, Chicago, IL 60602; (312-744-3200) phone; (312-744-9140) fax, web site: www.cityofchicago.org/landmarks
This Landmark Designation Report is subject to possible revision and amendment during the designation process. Only language contained within a designation ordinance adopted by the City Council should be regarded as final.
COMMISSION ON CHICAGO LANDMARKS
DPD
Rafael M. Leon, Chairman Ernest C. Wong, Vice Chair Maurice D. Cox, Secretary Gabriel Ignacio Dziekiewicz Paola Aguirre Tiara Hughes Mary Ann Smith Richard Tolliver
The Commission is staffed by the:
CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT
Department of Planning and Development
Bureau of Planning, Historic Preservation and Sustainability
City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St., Room 1006
Chicago, Illinois 60602
312.744.3200
Printed March 2019, re-printed November 2019.
EXHIBIT C
Department of Planning and Development city of chicago
April 4, 2019
Report to the Commission on Chicago Landmarks On the
John Nuveen House Landmark Designation 3916 North Tripp Avenue
The Department of Planning and Development (DPD) finds that the proposed landmark designation of the John Nuveen House supports the City's overall planning goals for the surrounding Irving Park Community Area and is consistent with the City's governing policies and plans.
DPD supports the Commission's preliminary landmark recommendation for the John Nuveen House. The house was built by John Nuveen in 1892. Nuveen founded his own investment banking firm in Chicago in 1898. By the mid-20th century firms like John Nuveen & Co. played a significant role in helping municipalities and states build schools and financing public infrastructure projects.
The large house is a fine example ofthe Queen Anne style of architecture on an oversized lot in Old Irving Park, a neighborhood that originally developed as a railroad suburb. The irregular massing, corner tower, leaded-glass windows and variety of ornament are characteristic feature ofthe Queen Anne style.
The John Nuveen House site is zoned RS-2 (Residential Single-Unit (Detached House) District and surrounding land uses generally include other low density/single family houses with some multi-unit buildings on certain sites. West Irving Park Road is the primary commercial street in the area. Three City of Chicago Landmarks are located nearby as well: 1) The Charles N. Loucks House; 2) The Stephen Race House; and, 3) The Whistle Stop Inn on West Irving Park Road.
DPD's recent planning for the area is consistent with the proposed landmark designation. Both the CTA and Metra Station Typology Studies, approved by the Chicago Plan Commission in 2009 and 2014, respectively, have typed the Irving Park CTA and Metra Stations as "Urban Neighborhoods" that display generally lower levels of residential density but with good access to transit.
Nearby commercial corridors also serve an important role in supporting this community area. In 2013, the Chicago Plan Commission adopted the Six Corners Economic Development Master
121 NORTH LASALLE STREET. ROOM 1000, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60602
Plan which includes strategies to enhance the vitality of one of Chicago's oldest and most important neighborhood shopping districts located at the border between the Old Irving Park and Portage Park neighborhoods. To provide improved community amenities and more affordable housing options in this neighborhood, DPD also supported the development ofthe newly completed Independence Branch Public Library with affordable housing units for seniors on the upper floors.
David L. Reifman, Commissioner Department of Planning and Development
In conclusion, the landmark designation of the John Nuveen House supports the City's overall planning and economic/ievelopment goals for Chicago's Irving Park community and is consistent with the Qty's governing policies and plans.