On April 8, there will be an opportunity to step into history, as the Historical Society of Oak Park & River Forest conducts a housewalk on the south side of Oak Park, featuring 10 Gunderson homes. These houses are located in the former “Gunderson Development,” where brothers Seward and George Gunderson constructed many of their practical homes for the middle class. Rain or shine, the self-guided walking tour will kick off from the Oak Park Conservatory, 615 W. Garfield Ave., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“These are historically significant four-square homes,” said the Historical Society’s Diane Hansen, “with very distinct designs that are recognizable from the exterior.” Homeowners have graciously allowed visitors to tour the first floors of their Gundersons. “They’ll see the flowing floor plans and the unique amenities of these spacious houses,” Hansen added.
The Gunderson brothers were advocates for reasonably priced housing and were such believers in their homes that they each lived in one, Seward at 701 S. Elmwood and brother George across the street at 700 S. Elmwood (at the corner of Elmwood and Jackson). Their father, Severt, came to Chicago from Norway and established a lumber business and planing mill. Severt apparently was very civic-minded, as he was one of the forces behind the building of the Chicago Public Library (now the Cultural Center).
In 1898, his company, S.T. Gunderson & Sons, which manufactured sashes, doors and molding, burned to the ground. A year later, the Gundersons formed a new company. It had the same name, but now father and sons were involved in the real estate and homebuilding business. They constructed their first Oak Park homes along Wenonah Avenue. Then, from 1906 to 1915, they built the houses that now comprise the Gunderson Historic District, stretching from the west side of Ridgeland between Madison and Harrison, extending to the east side of East Avenue (though not all of the houses in this area are Gundersons).
“They offered a variety of floor plans,” Hansen said, “so you could personalize your home.” As for amenities, Gunderson homes featured stained glass windows, built-in bookcases and cabinets, and crown molding. One of their most prized features was the design of the third floor as a separate living space.
Unlike most real estate developers, who sprinkle their houses throughout a community, the Gundersons built them side-by-side, right down the South Oak Park streets, one of which now bears their name. They also had their own train station near their offices at Harrison & Elmwood. The subdivision that comprises the core of the historic district included the west side of Ridgeland, all of Elmwood and the east side of Gunderson).
Seward Gunderson had been instrumental in getting the railroad line extended to Oak Park. He was very active in the community, serving the zoning board, Chamber of Commerce, and acting as treasurer for the park district. Up until the time of his death in 1950, he was still receiving requests for Gunderson-built homes. His brother George, who had been more of a silent partner in the business, passed away five years before.
The Gundersons developed three subdivisions in Oak Park and 10 in Chicago. Many of their workers were highly skilled Norwegian-Americans who knew how to make the most sensible use of space. The company was ahead of its time in keeping its workforce employed during the winter, prefabricating interior pieces for the houses they would start in the spring.
This last piece of information came courtesy of Peg Zak, who lived at 518 Gunderson, from 1962 to 1997. “They built wonderful houses,” Zak said, “And you could pick out your façade and how you wanted your bay window”square, round or hexagon. Their houses had big front porches and wide eaves.” (George Miller, for whom Miller Meadow was named, had previously owned Zak’s home).
Zak also appreciated the interior features: narrow board floors, crown molding and built-in cabinets. “The workmanship was so great that everything in our house was still plumb, 50 years after it was built.” Like many Gundersons, Zak’s house was adorned with art glass windows. Zak loved her house so much, she never thought she’d move. “I expected to be carried out feet first.”
A major restoration
Many Gunderson homeowners are emotionally attached to their houses, so what would they do if it were badly damaged by fire? Well, if you’re Deanne Alexander, you don’t tear it down and build a “McMansion.” The Alexander house at 808 S. Elmwood was nearly destroyed by fire, water and smoke on Oct. 23, 2003. It was heartbreaking for Deanne, Nick and their four children. They had just finished restoring the historic home when a fire broke out in the attic. Thankfully, no one was injured.
They were also fortunate that their insurer provided premier contract service. The only other bright spot for the Alexanders was that the resulting demolition “opened up the floor plan” on the first floor. “I didn’t want to change the character of the house, and I wanted to keep the Gunderson motif,” Alexander said, “but we were able to modernize and still keep the signature Gunderson touches, like the built-in buffet.”
Repairs were costly, though, and time-consuming. The Alexanders ended up investing a good deal of their own money, on top of the insurance funds. Their efforts paid off, as contactors reproduced the original staircase and stained glass windows. One of their most difficult projects was replacing the century-old wrought-iron railings on the front porch. Alexander found a company in Texas to do the work.
Besides the physical damage, the Alexanders had to “recover from the emotional pain of the fire.” Help from their neighbors greatly eased this pain but Alexander could remember “looking at pictures of the burned house and crying. You lose years of memories, and you start looking at things differently.”
The fire changed the attitude of the Alexander family toward possessions and materialism. “You realize how little you really need to live,” she said. Now, with the house fully restored, there’s not a hint of the fire that consumed it.
It’s still a cozy Gunderson home, with a good-sized kitchen (small kitchens were one of the Gundersons’ few flaws) and a third floor that has been finished as a separate “apartment.” Plus, Alexander’s tragedy may lead to some positive ideas for other Gunderson owners. “A lot of people on the tour are looking for renovation ideas. I know that’s one of my motivations for taking the tour,” Deanne said.
Regardless of your reason for touring these historic homes, tickets can be obtained through the Historical Society, 708/848-6755. The cost is $25 for members, $30 for non-members in advance and $35 at the door. It will be a wonderful opportunity to see the handiwork of two brothers, who believed affordable houses should also be beautiful.
Writer John Rice grew up in a Gunderson house. So did his editor, Ken Trainor (not in the same house, however).