Lakeview’s landmarked Daniel O. Hill House is back on the market as a $2.3M fixer-upper

While East Lakeview’s once-threatened Daniel O. Hill House is safe from demolition, the recently landmarked property is searching for a new owner that will give the 1902 structure the care and repairs it needs. Last week, the historic American Foursquare style home at 448 W. Barry Avenue hit the market for the first time since the property earned its protected status from the city in 2017. It’s asking $2.3 million.

Notable Chicago architect Frederick Wainwright Perkins designed the residence for silk merchant Daniel O. Hill with Prairie School proportions and classical-style ornamentation. According to the city’s landmark report, the 118-year-old property exemplifies the “large, well-crafted single-family houses” that were built in Lakeview after the area was annexed by Chicago the late 19th century.

In 1952, the historic mansion became the home of Chicago’s Serbian American Museum St. Sava. As a cultural institution, it featured exhibits highlighting famous Serbs such as inventor Nikola Tesla and tennis star Novak Djokovic. The building’s third-story ballroom was converted into a theater, and the basement houses a unique “cave-themed” bar.

Lakeview’s Hill House “needs extensive work,” according to the listing description from agent James Roth of Fulton Grace Realty. It will be sold in “as is” condition. The current $2.3 million price tag is substantially lower than the property’s $3.85 million asking price in 2016—before it received landmark status and protection from demolition.