Rogers Park home with woodwork from 1893 World’s Fair asks $740K

In Rogers Park, this stucco home has a design that’s truly one-of-a-kind—a Chicago bungalow exterior with a royal, Tudor-style interior.

The house was built by Andrew Hall who was an electrician in the 1890s and worked for a company that was involved with Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair, according to former owners. There, he fell in love with the Victoria House which was a home constructed by Great Britain in a half-hearted, half-timber Tudor style. It represented the style of club houses and royal residences in London.

The @properties listing agent, Alley Ballard relayed this story from a former homeowner:

“He apparently visited the Victoria House almost daily during lunch time. He fell in love with the quarter-sawn oak woodwork of this English Manor House, which was originally designed and shipped from England and rebuilt for the fair. Knowing that the buildings would be torn down at the end of the fair, Andrew Hall arranged to buy the wood from the interior rooms of the Victoria House. He kept them in storage for 10 years until he bought the lot in Rogers Park in 1905.”

Hall designed the home around the special woodwork as a wedding present for his wife the following year. In some cases, it was trimmed to fit a smaller space as the Victoria houses much larger. Since Hall was an electrician, the house in Rogers Park was one of the first to only have electricity.

Most of the original woodwork from the Victoria House is in the home’s entrance and main living area—see the dramatic beams, gorgeous panels, and detailed wood-burning fireplace with built-ins.

Aside from the truly remarkable history, the five-bedroom, three-bathroom bungalow sits on an oversized lot. It features charming stained glass windows, a large open kitchen, a master suite with a walk-in closet, a soaking tub surrounded by Italian marble, an outdoor terrace, and a backyard perfect for gardening.

Is this historic home calling your name? 1911 W. Farwell Avenue is asking $739,000 and there’s an open house noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, March 17.

The dark woodwork and large windows make this living area very elegant.