In the mid-to-late 1890’s shortly after Frank Lloyd Wright left the architecture firm of Adler and Sullivan to go out on his own, some of his first solo designs were a handful of homes on River Forest’s western edge. The William Winslow House was built between 1894-95 on Auvergne Place. Across the street, Wright remodeled the Edward C. Waller House in 1899 (demolished in 1939,) and on the block behind them, Wright designed the Chauncey Williams House in 1895 at 530 Edgewood Place.
The Chauncey Williams House recently hit the market for $2.4 million, and the home is a unique example of Wright’s early work. The home has several Arts & Crafts Style motifs — the most striking of which might be the large river boulders surrounding the entire base of the home. The stones were pulled from the Desplaines River, and legend has it that the Wrights, the Wallers and the Williams pulled the rocks from the river themselves.
Real estate agent Tagger O’Brien of P.M. Walsh & Co., who is listing the house, says that the property was originally part of the Waller estate, and the Winslow and Williams Houses were built after Waller subdivided his property.
Like Wright, Williams attended the University of Wisconsin, but it is not clear if the two met there or in Chicago. Williams’ father owned a manufacturing company, and he passed away when Williams was six years old. The inheritance left him a wealthy young man. He lived in London for a time with his stepmother before returning to the Midwest for school and moving to Chicago in 1893. In the 1890’s Williams and his neighbor Winslow formed the Auvergne Press, and the duo published limited edition books from a printing press on Winslow’s property.
O’Brien points out the many remaining, original Wright touches throughout the home. A quatrefoil window at the front of the home, an arched carving over the front door and a wooden screen attached to the door are all remarkably intact.
Inside, a fireplace inglenook is signature Wright. Arched doors, wooden ceiling beams and woodwork throughout the house are also original. An octagonal library has a fireplace of Roman brick and built-in bookshelves. On the opposite side of the home, the dining room has an octagonal bay and a third fireplace. O’Brien says the family believes the dining room chandelier is original to the home.
Her clients have called the Chauncey Williams House their home for 54 years, and O’Brien notes that the house lived well for the family with four children.
The second floor is flooded with light from an art glass skylight on the landing. A primary suite contains two bedrooms and a full bathroom. The second bedroom in the suite area, which could be used as an office or nursery, boasts an original fireplace with built-in cabinets on either side. Continuing the nature motif, the built-ins are decorated with floral embellishments. A third bedroom has another fireplace and a fourth bedroom, currently used as an office, boasts an original window seat with built-in storage. An updated hall bathroom rounds out the second floor.
On the third floor, another two bedrooms and a half bath offer more living space, and there is a cedar closet for storage. The basement includes a laundry room, a half bathroom, a wine cellar area and a finished family room with room for a pool table.
O’Brien says that when it came time to market the house, she does think it commands more of a premium due to its history and connection to Wright. That said, she also understands that a special person will be the buyer.
“People might be okay with the price point but want a traditional colonial or a Victorian. The buyer of this house has got to be the next steward.”
The Williams House is currently the only Wright-designed house on the public real estate market in Oak Park and River Forest. Wright’s Elizabeth and Rollin Furbeck House at 515 Fair Oaks in Oak Park sold for $1.8 million in July 2025; the Hills-DeCaro House at 313 Forest Ave. in Oak Park sold for $2.3 million in March 2023 and the Winslow House at 515 Auvergne Place in River Forest sold for $2.2 million in November 2024.
