“A foreclosure sale that might have handed a run-down Frank Lloyd Wright house to a savior today instead handed it to the lender, meaning the house will likely continue its years-long decline for at least a while longer.

“The Florida-based mortgage holder on the J.J. Walser house on Central Avenue in Austin made the only bid in the auction, at $240,000, which was considerably more than either of two possible rescuers was prepared to offer. Without bids from those two — an Austin community revitalization group and an apartment-portfolio owner who is rehabbing two other endangered properties in the city — the lender received title to the property.

“The lender, PHH Mortgage based in Palm Beach, has made no public statements about the property or plans to rehab it, and Crain’s could not reach any officials of the firm. Without one of the aspiring rescuers, Austin Coming Together or Andy Schcolnik’s Ansco Construction, becoming the new owner, prospects for a rehab of the 122-year-old Wright home do not appear imminent.

“‘The building is crying out for someone to come in and restore it and occupy it,’ said Barbara Gordon, executive director of the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy. ‘Now the long saga (of the house) continues into another Chicago winter without someone living there and investing in it, and we all know what the freeze-thaw cycle in Chicago does to buildings.’

“Darnell Shields, executive director of Austin Coming Together, said the result of the auction means until PHH Mortgage ‘puts forth a solution, the property continues to be in danger, continues to be at risk and continues to be a detriment to the community.’

“Shields attended today’s auction planning to bid on the Walser House, which his group envisions becoming an anchor for Central Avenue revitalization and a companion piece to the recently completed $40.8 million revitalization of a closed Chicago Public Schools building across the street into the Aspire Center, now home to workforce training and other programs.

“PHH Mortgage’s $240,000 ‘was way too high for us,’ Shields said. “The building is only appraised at $65,000.’ He declined to say what he had planned to bid, but said he expected a full rehab to cost at least $2 million, for which fundraising would have begun if Austin Coming Together was top bidder in the auction.

“Schcolnik, too, said the lender’s figure was too high. That was evidenced, he said, by the fact that ‘there were two serious bidders in the room who didn’t move after you put that number out there.’ Like Shields, Schcolnik declined to say what he had come in planning to bid.

“‘It’s a pity,’ Schcolnik said, ‘that they weren’t interested in working with the parties that wanted to take care of’ the Walser house. Shields said he plans to approach PHH Mortgage with an offer. Schcolnik, who just last week bought a rundown Bronzeville mansion with a plan to bring it back to life after it sat vacant for two decades, declined to say whether he plans to approach the lender.

“‘They must believe they have something of great value, a Frank Lloyd Wright house,’ Schcolnik said, adding that ‘nobody is going to pay” a market price when the house is in unlivable condition.” (Rodkin, Crain’s Chicago Business, 12/1/25)

Preservation Chicago has leading the effort at building court and has attended every hearing in person to advocate on behalf of this very important house by a very important architect in very distressed condition. Due to holes in the roof and broken windows, water has been able to penetrate into the home. Vandalism and vagrancy also remain an ongoing problem and threat.

During this vulnerable stage, we check on the house often and have frequency requested that the judge order the property manager to replace dislodged tarps and to secure damaged board-ups. During the most recent court hearing, we requested an accelerated timeframe for the stabilization work and another court hearing to ensure compliance.

We are disappointed by the lender’s decision to try to maximize profits when time is of the essence to transfer the Walser House into the hands of a local developer with the means and motivation to quickly stabilize and restore this home.

The current intense phase is the culmination of many years of monitoring the deteriorating condition of this important house and advocating for its stabilization and restoration. Our extensive experience working in neighborhoods of disinvestment has proven to be a very important component in working through many challenges. Hard work remains ahead, but we remain cautiously optimistic by the progress that is being made.

J.J. Walser Jr. House is a Preservation Chicago 2025 Chicago 7 Most Endangered. Preservation Chicago has been working very closely with stakeholders to try to bring about a successful outcome for the Walser House including the potential restoration buyers and preservation partners including the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, Landmarks Illinois and other community organizations.

Read the full story at Crain’s Chicago Business

• Frank Lloyd Wright home in Austin auctioned to lender after would-be rescuers edged out, Dennis Rodkin, Crain’s Chicago Business, 12/1/25
• J.J. Walser House, a Preservation Chicago 2025 Chicago 7 Most Endangered
• Historic Frank Lloyd Wright Home Added to List of Endangered Architecture in Chicago; The J.J. Walser Jr. House, one of five Wright-designed homes in the city, has fallen into disrepair, prompting calls for preservation, Ella Jeffries, Smithsonian Magazine, 3/18/25
• Dilapidated Wright home in Austin makes list of most endangered Chicago buildings; Architect’s only home on the West Side in jeopardy, Lacey Sikora, Austin Weekly News, 3/10/25
• A wronged Wright on Chicago’s West Side could receive long-needed repairs; Preservationists see the correction of building code violations at the Walser House as a critical first step toward the early Frank Lloyd Wright home being saved and reused, Lee Bey, Chicago Sun-Times, 3/25/25
• A Frank Lloyd Wright Home Lands on a List of the Most Endangered Historic Buildings, Located in Chicago, the monumental Prairie-style residence has been unoccupied for six years, Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 3/12/25
• Early Frank Lloyd Wright Home Lands on List of Endangered Buildings; “Every part of this house needs attention,” the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy said., Richard Whiddington, Artnet News, 3/14/25
• A rare Frank Lloyd Wright home left abandoned and in ruins has landed on a list of ‘endangered’ architectural treasures; Mary K. Jacob, New York Post, 3/19/25