2024 in Homes was a year filled with the stories that make our locals villages home. We covered architecturally significant homes, condominiums, apartments, renovation projects, historic local sales, garden tours, organizations like the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust, and local people who spend their time making homes for others.
January
We learned that Fitzgerald’s in Berwyn is applying for placement on the National Register for Historic Places. Owners Jessica King and Will Duncan purchased the night club just as the pandemic began, and as they used social media to connect with fans, they learned a lot about the history of Fitzgerald’s. They hope that placing the building on the National Historic Register will preserve the history of the Roosevelt Road stalwart.
February
We followed the greening of local apartments. The Grove in Forest Park was exploring environmentally friendly updates, with the help of Seven Generations Ahead. Residents joined a community solar program, upgraded windows and chose a more sustainable HVAC systems, working with Oak Park-based Energy Matters.
March
We turned our eyes to local parishes, particularly Grace Episcopal Church, which were working tirelessly to aid a group migrants brought to Oak Park on Halloween 2023. A community of volunteers rose up to aid them. As the migrants moved on to longer-term housing, the Rev. John Rumple of Grace Episcopal continued to advocate for those housed at the church who were in danger of falling through the cracks.
April
We covered plans by the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust to build a new education center on its Oak Park campus. The planned center will consist of a new, contemporary building designed by architect John Ronan that will include a Reception Hall, Pavilion and Studio. An Art Resource Center will be housed in the repurposed historic building at 925 Chicago Ave., which will also include a Frank Lloyd Wright Reading Room and Archive.
May
We got a glimpse inside of an architecturally significant home that was hitting the market for the first time in 50 years. 522 Linden is one of only two in Oak Park designed by architects David Postle and John Fischer. Originally listed for $1.195 million, the home sold in October for $850,000. This story was the second-most read article on our website in all of 2024.
June
We turned our attention to design firm North & Madison and a few of their local projects in June. Duo Robin Flaherty and Jess Milburn showcased a colorful condo in Forest Park and a River Forest home that got their signature treatment with a colorful palette and plenty of charm.
July
We did a deep dive into things found in the walls when locals rehabbed their historic homes. Several residents shared their treasures that were revealed when they renovated. From bottles to toy buses to remnants of old wallpaper, the bits of the past are treasured by their homes’ new owners.
August
In August, we traveled to Austin to cover Frank Lloyd Wright’s J.J. Walser House on Central Avenue. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1903, the home is an early example of Wright’s Prairie Style. The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy is working with Austin Coming Together to save the house and ensure its survival.
September
We covered a Frank Lloyd Wright house in River Forest that has been meticulously maintained and restored. Wright’s design for the Winslow house at 515 Auvergne Pl. in 1893 was his first major solo commission when he was 26-years old. The home listed for $1.985 million and sold for $2.2 million in November.
October
We took a trip to Madison Street in October to check the progress of Oak Park Commons. The first co-housing project of its kind in Illinois is currently under construction. With a mission to foster intergenerational connection, diversity and inclusiveness through a community of adjoining private apartments that share a common space, the co-housing development is focused on creating a long-term community. Financed by Hoyne Savings Bank, the building has an estimated completion date of October 2025.
November
We looked at the priciest local condo sale in recent memory with the sale of a unit at 444 Ashland in River Forest for more than $1 million. Ideal Location Oak Park’s Eli Schultz and Mary Christine Pacer brokered the sale and said that there’s plenty of demand locally for high-end condominiums.
December
We closed out the year in December with a tour of the newest home for L’Arche. This is the first newly built home in the Chicago area for L’Arche, an organization that houses adults with intellectual disabilities and their caregivers. Residents are looking forward to living in a home that both accommodates their needs and is sustainably built.
Thanks for spending your year with the Wednesday Journal Homes section. We look forward to covering more homes, gardens, and architecture in 2025!