Own Kenwood’s historic Goodman Mansion for $4.5M

While the South Side neighborhood of Kenwood is known for its many older homes from prominent architects, the handsome Queen Anne Victorian known as the Goodman Mansion is certainly among its most ornate and historically significant.

Originally constructed by architectural firm Treat & Foltz in 1892 for lumber baron William Goodman. The businessman and his wife Erna went on to establish Chicago’s Goodman Theater in 1922 in honor of their son Kenneth, an amateur playwright who passed away at age 35 during the influenza epidemic of 1918.

In addition to serving as a private residence, the Kenwood structure housed a girls’ finishing school as well as a junior military academy during its 126-year history, according to the Chicago Tribune. The Greenwood Avenue property is also just down the block from the former South Side home of Barack and Michelle Obama.

The seven-bedroom, nearly 18,000-square-foot structure was given new life by European craftsmen employed by its current owners, civil rights lawyer Jim Montgomery and his wife, Pauline. Noted architectural details include woodwork, plaster moldings, a carved staircase, Jacobean ceilings, leaded glass windows, 12 fireplaces, and a grand ballroom.

On top of the extensive restoration work, the current owners added a number of modern updates including new plumbing, wiring, eight-zone climate control, a built-in audio system, and an elevator. There’s even casual entertainment areas including a basement billiards room and bar as well as a large rear patio overlooking the home’s stand-alone six-car garage.

Kenwood’s Goodman Mansion is listed by @properties agent Eugene Fu for $4.5 million—a figure that’s rather expensive for the South Side but a small price to pay for a unique piece of Chicago history and old world craftsmanship.

• 5026 S. Greenwood Avenue, Chicago IL [@properties]
• Previous Kenwood coverage [Curbed Chicago]