Own a Piece of History!

The old Marshall Field Jr. house at 1919 S. Prairie Ave. is for sale. Well, that’s not quite true. The venerable old mansion was restored and converted into six luxury condominium units in 2007. One of those luxury condos is up for sale.


A Home Fit for a Field
The home was originally built for William Murray in 1893. In 1902, Marshall Field Jr. commissioned the legendary Daniel H. Burnham to enlarge it. Just a few doors away from Marshall Field Sr. (1905 S. Prairie), Jr.’s mansion was one of the largest on Prairie Ave.

After Marshall Field Jr.’s death in 1905, the house was converted to a hospital and then a nursing home. It sat vacant for many years, falling into decay. The renovation in 2007 kept the 1902 façade and footprint pretty much in tact. It’s hard to tell that it isn’t still a single-family home, since all residents enter the original main entrance.

A Mysterious Death and those Everleigh Sisters!

The death of Marshall Field has been shrouded in mystery for years. The official story has Marshall Field Jr. accidentally shooting himself at home, but rumors abound regarding “the truth.” Almost from the very beginning, there were stories circulating that Field was shot by a prostitute at the infamous Everleigh Club at 2131-2133 S. Dearborn St. Some believe the Everleigh sisters (Minna and Ada) had his body brought to his home by carriage. Then things were arranged to make Field’s death look like an accident. The above theory is given some credibility by nonfiction author Karen Abbott in her bestseller Sin in the Second City.



The old days when the three richest men in Chicago (Marshall Field, Philip Armour, and George Pullman) all lived on S. Prairie Ave. are gone, but the history and some of the neighborhood’s character survive today.

Glessner and Clarke houses decorated for the holidays through January 3, 2010

See the Glessner and Clarke houses decorated in appropriate 19th century holiday decor. 

The oldest house in Chicago all dressed up

Decorations in the Clarke house reflect the emerging holiday customs of the mid-1800s, including a small tabletop evergreen tree decorated with cranberries, clove-studded oranges and gold-painted walnuts.  The house will be set to receive New Year's Day callers, as that holiday was more popular in the mid-1800s for visiting friends and family.

Prairie Ave. landmark

The Glessner house will be decorated in the grand Victorian style of a well-to-do family of the 1880s.  Decorations include a large tree hung with vintage glass and paper ornaments, stairways draped in pine garland, and the dining room table elegantly set for the Christmas feast.

All of the above can be seen during regular tours of both houses.

Chicago history in our backyard

The Clarke and Glessner houses are important Chicago landmarks. The Clarke House is the oldest house in Chicago and it was built and inhabited by the Clarke family, early Chicago pioneers who saw the Chicago wilderness as a land of opportunity and prosperity.

Marshall Field, Philip Armour, and George Pullman too!

The Glessner House is one of the few remaining mansions on Prairie Ave. In the nineteenth century, Prairie Ave. was home to Chicago's richest men: Marshall Field, Philip Armour, and George Pullman, were the riches residents along Chicago's original gold coast. John and Frances Glessner were very active and influential in Prairie Ave. society. Both Glessners were founding members of the Chicago Symphony. The helped recruit the first conductor, Theodore Thomas. The also raised funds to build Orchestra Hall on S. Michigan Ave.

If you want to learn more about Chicago and Prairie Ave. history, consider purchasing Chicago's Historic Prairie Avenue by William Tyre, executive director of the Glessner House Museum. The book is available from Amazon.com and the Glessner House bookstore.

Marshall Field, Philip Armour, and George Pullman Too

Out of the Ashes

After the Great Fire of 1871, there was a building boom in Chicago. Rich industrialists like Marshall Field and George Pullman made their homes along Prairie Ave. Prairie Ave. became the center of Chicago's social scene during the late-nineteenth century. In the days before movie stars, news of what the "sifted few" did was the talk of the town. Lavish dinner parties and "celebrity" guests like Oscar Wilde's visit to Mrs. H.O. Stone's house, were a common occurrence.

We're all Japanese

One of the most celebrated parties to take place happened at 1905 S. Prairie Ave., at the home of Marshall Field. On January 1, 1886, the Fields celebrated the 18th birthday of their son Marshall Field Jr. The house was decorated like a Japanese village, with some guests even arriving in costume. The party was a catered affair and artist James McNeil Whistler (of "Whistler's Mother" fame) designed the party favors. The event was estimated to cost $75,000!

A Fair to Remember

The World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 was one of the great events of the nineteeth century. Without the support of the residence of Prairie Ave., it might
not have happened.

Like cities competing for the Olympics today, Chicago fought hard to win the right to host the 1893 World's Fair. After the Great Fire, Chicago wanted to prove to the world that it was a city to be reckoned with. Fair goers saw amazing things along the Midway Plaisance including the first ever Ferris Wheel.

A Look Back in Time

Much of the opulence of the golden age of Prairie Ave. is gone, but there are glimpses of it's former glory. Several of the old mansions remain, including the Kimball and Marshall Field Jr. mansions. The latter was recently converted to condominiums.

A Worthy Survivor

One of the most interesting survivors is the Glessner House at 1800 S. Prairie Ave. Designed by American architect Henry Hobson Richardson for John and Frances Glessner, it turned out to be a revolutionary urban dwelling. Its rusticated granite and fortress-like appearance made some Prairie Ave. residents think it was a jail or a church. John and Frances Glessner remained on Prairie Ave. until their deaths (Frances in 1932 and John in 1936). The house is a museum today, giving visitors a window on the past when Marshall Field, Philip Armour, and George Pullman, the three richest men in Chicago, lived on this fabled street.

You can tour the Glessner House, located at 1800 S. Prairie Ave., Wednesdays through Sundays at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. Wednesday tours are free. For more information, visit Glessner House Museum.