Historic Lincoln Park home by legendary architect Louis Sullivan asks $1.95M

In Lincoln Park, a rare single-family home designed by famed Chicago architect Louis Sullivan is on the market for the first time in nearly three decades. Built in 1884, the property exhibits a mix of original and Sullivanesque details as well as modern conveniences added by its most recent owner.

While most Chicagoans associate Sullivan with his grander buildings like the Auditorium Theater and the Loop’s earliest skyscrapers, the architect did design a handful of free-standing, single-family residences. This example on Cleveland Avenue was completed earlier in Sullivan’s career when he 28 years old.

After several decades of neglect, interior designer Jessica Lagrange purchased the home in 1992 with her then-husband, notable architect Lucien Lagrange. In the years since, the five-bedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom property was carefully restored and improved.

The structure’s impressive wood staircase is original, but a number of interior details such as ceiling escutcheons, fireplace mantels, and doors were recreated. Some elements were copied from originals previously removed and donated to a museum during an earlier “modernization” project. Others were inspired by different Sullivan-designed buildings.

According to listing agent Julie Harron of Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty, one of the property’s best features is its walled backyard. “It’s another room of the house,” Harron tells Curbed Chicago. “It’s so private and full of thoughtful details like a rear wall lined with staghorn ferns.”

The historic Lincoln Park beauty is currently listed for just shy of $1.95 million.