Rare, historic Lakeview mansion threatened with demolition

The Serbian American Museum is looking to demolish its Frederick Wainwright Perkins-designed home

By AJ LaTrace Jan 26, 2017, 12:10pm CST

A historic Lakeview mansion designed by Frederick Wainwright Perkins has reappeared on the city’s Demolition Delay Hold List, indicating that it could only a matter of weeks until the home is lost forever should the city does not seek protection.

The mansion, which is currently owned by the Serbian American Museum, was listed for sale last summer by the organization with an asking price of $3.85 million. The group cited a dwindling membership base and costly repairs as the reason for selling the property.

A representative of the Serbian American Museum told the Chicago Tribune last summer that they had hoped to find a preservation-minded buyer, however the group sought demolition of the historic mansion last October. The demolition application was later withdrawn at the end of November, but the effort appears to have resurfaced this week. In addition, the home has also been relisted on the MLS with the same $3.85 million asking price.

Ward Miller of Preservation Chicago says that the home is one of only a few of grand mansions built in Lakeview at the turn of the century that remain.

“These are becoming rare buildings in this part of Lakeview,” Miller stated. “Beyond its architecture, the home represents the early development of Lakeview before it was annexed into Chicago. There are only about 20-25 or so of these early grand-scale mansions in the neighborhood still around and we should explore the possibility for protections.”