An historic home recently hit the market in Oak Park, and along with a healthy dose of Chicagoland history and architectural provenance, the home boasts some modern amenities that are unusual in Oak Park real estate.
The home was built in 1908 for James Fletcher Skinner at 605 Linden Ave. in an area that was soon known colloquially as the Sears estates. Skinner had a direct connection to the neighborhood’s nickname.
Skinner and his wife were living in Minnesota, where Skinner operated the general store in Redwood Falls. He met Richard Sears, who ran the train station’s telegraph system while selling watches on the side.
Sears and Skinner worked together to develop a retail system that would cut out the middleman and allow for direct transactions between producers and customers. Their collaboration resulted in the direct mail order business that Sears opened in Minneapolis.
In 1895, Sears relocated the business to Chicago and invited Skinner to come along. For a time, both men lived in Oak Park. In 1908, Skinner hired architect Charles White to build his home at what is now 605 Linden.
With more than 6,500 square feet above grade, seven fireplaces and a garage with a coach house apartment, the home was grand for its time. Sears died in 1917 and is buried at Forest Home Cemetery. His widow later moved to California.
Today, Leigh Ann Hughes of Compass Realty’s Hughes Home Team is listing the house for the current owners for $1.985 million. She said that the finished basement includes more than 2,000 square feet of living space, so the home lives large with a total square footage of more than 8,600 square feet. That doesn’t include the garage apartment and the sport court.
The home is one of few local houses to have its own sport court. The heated space has a floating Maple TuffShield® ShockTower floor, and a regulation basketball hoop, making it the perfect place for the sports enthusiast.
The interior of the home isn’t too shabby itself. A grand entry foyer has original quarter sawn oak details and an original fireplace clad in stunning tile depicting flowing wisteria vines. Tucked behind the entry is a private office, one of many spaces suited for modern work-from-home scenarios.
The formal living room spans the front of the house and includes another gas fireplace with stained glass windows above the mantel. A second living area and sun porch round out the multiple living spaces on the first floor.
The walls of the dining room are clad in paneled, quarter sawn oak. The updated kitchen has white cabinetry and a custom island. The adjacent breakfast room has another fireplace.
“It’s a huge house, and it all flows so nicely,” Hughes said about the first floor.
On the second floor, the spacious primary suite includes a large bathroom with plenty of room to spread out. In the bathroom, there are dual vanities in separate spaces that meet in a bathing area. There are also two walk-in closets.
Two bedrooms have built-in cabinetry for storage and meet in a spacious Jack-and-Jill bath with a soaking tub and separate shower. A third bedroom has an outdoor balcony and a hall bathroom. A laundry room with a wall of cabinetry is also located on the second floor.
The finished third floor has a bedroom, bathroom and living area with a fireplace, and could be used as a bedroom suite or upstairs den or office.
In the basement, the current owners added a home theater complete with a 158-inch projector screen, professional sound and a wet bar. The basement also includes a rec room and a weight room.
Step across the driveway to enter the original garage that has stairs to a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment with a full kitchen. The space could be rented or used for an au pair or visiting family.
A second garage holds the sports court.
She said that all the “un-fun” money has been spent on the home with a French drain, zoned HVAC and sprinkler system to make the house move-in ready.
“This is truly an indoor-outdoor recreation dream home,” Hughes said. “It’s the neighborhood gathering spot.”