The last time 522 Linden was for sale, there was no cable television, no electric cars, no home computers and no internet.
In 1974, The Marion Street Mall in Oak Park was created by closing Marion Street at Lake. The Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio was bought from private ownership and was being restored, and residents were debating the village’s first high-rise development.
The home is one of only two in Oak Park designed by architects David Postle and John Fischer. Postle, who lived and worked in Elgin, designed many buildings in the Chicago area before moving to Los Angeles in 1921. Fischer worked as the head draftsman for Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge from 1901-09 before working as the lead designer for Postle and Fischer from 1910-20. Fischer is known for designing many of the buildings on the University of Chicago campus.
In Oak Park, the duo first designed 420 N. East Avenue, and both homes were built by local builders Joseph Guy and John McClintock. When Wednesday Journal covered that home last year, local architect and founder of the Preservation Oak Park Facebook Group Chris Payne noted: “In 1915, John Meier hired the firm to design his home at 420 East, and then in 1916, James Dick hired the firm to design his home at 522 Linden.”
James Dick was a member of the A. B. Dick family. A.B. Dick was a major American copier manufacturer and office supply company in the early 20th century. Dick was best known for developing the first commercial mimeograph. The homeowner recalled being told that Dick liked what he saw of the Meier house on East Avenue, so he hired Postle and Fischer to design his house a few blocks away.
“Both homes have a broad substantial appearance and like the firm’s other works, are Arts & Crafts inspired,” Payne said. “The Meier home has Prairie influences, while the Dick home has some classical motifs.”
522 Linden has an expansive brick exterior with an ornate, carved, decorative entrance. A porte cochere leads to the rear garage. An arched front door with an art glass window leads to an impressive foyer with original wood paneling. The paneling is echoed on the walls of the formal dining room. The second-floor office is flooded with light from arched windows trimmed in rich wood.
At roughly 6,000 square feet and with 7 bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms, the house has plenty of room to spread out. Compass Real Estate Broker Rubina Bokhari, said the owner is ready to sell after 50 years in the home and touts the homes “amazing bones and layout.”
“It will just take someone willing to do the kitchen and the floors, but you don’t want to touch that dining room, office or foyer,” she said of the need for some updates needed for the house, which is being sold in “as-is” condition.
Bokhari thinks the house is easily one of the most remarkable in Oak Park. She said, “The staircase is so grand with the banisters going all the way up. It’s like a Gatsby house. It’s great for entertaining.”
She also points out the versatility of the home’s floorplan for those looking to make the house their own. The second floor includes five bedrooms and three full bathrooms. The large primary suite includes its own sunroom. Bokhari said that it is easy to imagine expanding the closets in the primary suite and expanding some of the bedrooms.
With two more bedrooms in the third-floor ballroom, Bokhari said, “This house has seven bedrooms. You could combine some and make bigger bedrooms. You could do so much with that ballroom- it could be a workout space or a guest suite. There are so many things you can do.”
For someone looking to make all three floors accessible, Bokhari can imagine removing the rear staircase and adding an elevator. At the end of the day, she said, “I think the buyer that buys this will make it their own.”
Bokhari said the house is priced competitively at $1.195 million. She noted that 420 N. East sold for $1.75 million last summer.
“These houses have the same architect, are made of brick, are a similar size and are similar designs,” Bokhari said. “We realize this house needs updates. Put in $500,000, and honestly it will be worth even more than that in the future.”
At her first open house, Bokhari said that she had some unexpected guests. The family of the previous owners, who sold the house in 1974, stopped by with their entire family to tour the house. Bokhari said, “There were about 20 people coming through and reliving the family memories in the home. It was a treat. They took a big family photo out front when they left.”
She said she has no problem imagining the next owners will feel similar attachment to the home.
“It requires a little bit of love, but it’s so special.”