Fix up this lovely Kenwood carriage house with a history for $495K

Built in 1895, this property in the historic Kenwood district started out as a carriage house for horses. The larger family home it served is now a church, and today the barn-turned-family-home sits waiting for new owners who want to take on a massive restoration project. It’s listed for $495,000.

In 1939, architect H. Ring Clauson was tasked by then owners, Mr. and Mrs. Huntress, to transform the building into a modern home, according to a Chicago Tribune article published that year. The owners were in love with their new home, describing Clauson’s conversion with starry-eyes, “I saw the house one wintry afternoon, its wall of whitewashed brick softened by a haze of lightly falling snow, and it was hard to imagine that the home had ever had a ‘past’ of any sort.”

Via ProQuest database, courtesy of listing agent Amy Gelman Meliora Real Estate Group

However, as it stands now, the five-bedroom home is showing its age. The interior needs significant updating and there’s no water to the house, according to listing agent Amy Gelman of Meliora Real Estate Group. Since it’s located within a historic district, the restorations will need to follow certain guidelines too.

The bones are there to make a stunning home: generous room sizes, high ceilings, original woodwork, and lots of character. The two fireplaces—one in a dark wood-paneled den and the other a centerpiece to the living room—have been well kept and look similar to how they were described in 1939. There are other special details like the giant farm sink, hardwood floors, bright paned-windows, and beautiful trees.

So, would you take the leap?

• 1011 E. 50th Street [Meliora Real Estate Group]