“A historic Far South Side home designed by world-renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright was sold earlier this month for less than $200,000 after spending more than three years on the market.
“Sitting on nearly a half acre of land, the 120-year-old faded yellow home, known as the Foster House and Stable, located at 12147 S. Harvard Ave., features steep roof peaks — something that wasn’t necessarily common in Wright’s designs — and has five bedrooms and three bathrooms. Its immense yard is like a grassy oasis, with two koi ponds and a water fountain, buyer James Glover said.
“The home, which has a Japanese-influenced style to it, was ‘an important part of the development of Wright’s influential architectural style,’ according to the Chicago Landmarks website. The home and its stable was originally built in 1900 as a summer home for Stephen Foster, a real estate attorney who worked with developers around the West Pullman neighborhood, the website said. The stable has since been converted into a three-car garage, Glover said.
“In 1996, the property was declared a Chicago landmark, and it’s one of more than 40 Wright-designed buildings that remain in the Chicagoland area today, according to the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust.
“He described the property as a ‘fixer-upper’ and hopes to restore the place to its original beauty.
“‘I have a friend, his name is Ward Miller…he’s the executive director of Preservation Chicago. He said that this house is like a Picasso or a Rembrandt [painting], and you have to be a conservator of the house, which is what I intend to do,’ said Glover, 60.
“‘It’s hard to touch a Frank [Lloyd] Wright for less than about a million,’ said Glover, who noted a Wright-designed home in Phoenix that recently sold for a reported $7.25 million. ‘So I feel like we got lucky on this one.'” (Kenney, 9/14/20)
Preservation Chicago is working with the new owner, James Glover, and is our hope to continue to assist with the restoration process of this magnificent house by one of the world’s most famous architects. We also see this as a link for tourism to the nearby Pullman National Monument and visitor center scheduled to open in Spring 2021.
Read the full story at the Chicago Sun-Times
“WBEZ’s Reset checks in with Ward Miller, the executive director of Preservation Chicago and James Glover, new owner of Foster House and Stable to discuss the sale of Foster House and Stable, one of the few surviving buildings in the city designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The 120-year-old West Pullman home reportedly sold earlier this month for $135,000.”
