“The original home on the site at 1838 N. Lincoln Park West burned in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Three years later, brewer Frederick Wacker rebuilt it as a distinctive Swiss chalet-style home, creating what would be known as the Wacker House.

“The home later belonged to Frederick’s son, Charles Wacker, one of the city’s most influential civic leaders. As chairman of the Chicago Plan Commission for 17 years, Wacker helped carry out Daniel Burnham’s landmark 1909 Plan of Chicago, championing projects including the widening of Michigan Avenue, expansion of the lakefront park system and construction of the double-deck boulevard that now bears his name.

“Over the past several years, the home’s exterior has been dramatically transformed. Siding has been removed, the front staircase is now flanked by tree trunks, exposed wood covers much of the facade and the rear coach house has undergone extensive alterations.

“Under Chicago’s landmark ordinance, exterior alterations to designated landmark properties and contributing buildings within landmark districts generally require review by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks before permits can be issued.

“‘While the Old Town Triangle Association respects homeowners’ rights to make changes to their property, those changes must comply with the City of Chicago’s Landmark Ordinance requirements governing the Old Town Triangle District,’ the organization’s members said in a statement to Block Club.

“No building permits have been issued for the property since 2023. That December, inspectors issued a stop-work order related to paint removal at the home.

“From 2023 through 2026, the Department of Buildings received 13 complaints related to the property, including reports of work without plans or permits, paint stripping, alterations to a landmark building, work encroaching onto neighboring properties, construction on the coach house, rooftop work and jobsite safety concerns. In June 2025, inspectors issued a second stop-work order after observing construction on top of the property’s coach house, according to the buildings department.” (Filbin, Block Club Chicago, 7/24/26)

Preservation Chicago supports the Old Town Triangle Association in calling for stronger enforcement at the Wacker House. Built in 1874 in the immediate aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire, it is a rare survivor in a rare style, and its association with Charles Wacker gives it civic significance beyond its architecture.

Preservation Chicago urges the Department of Buildings and the Commission on Chicago Landmarks to take action to resolve the unpermitted work.

Read the full story at Block Club Chicago

• Fight Over Historic Wacker House Goes Public As Preservationists Call For City Action; The Old Town Triangle Association is urging neighbors to report work at the Wacker House, saying years of alterations threaten one of the neighborhood’s most significant landmark homes, Patrick Filbin, Block Club Chicago, 7/24/26
• Old Town Triangle Association