#colvin

Vaultoween 2022 No. 13: "Brotherhood"

This piece has been just over two years in the making, and thank fuck it's done

My previous post focused on Maher-designed houses on Hutchinson St., now a Chicago historic district. For this post, I spent part of a day photographing some of Maher's other residential work in Chicago.

Stevenson-Colvin House

Address: 5940 N. Sheridan Rd.

Year Built: 1909

Architect: George W. Maher

The Stevenson-Colvin House

The Harry M. Stevenson house at 4950 N. Sheridan Road dates to 1909 and is a rare survivor of the large homes that lined the street in the first decades of the 20th century. The house, referred to today as the Colvin house for its second owner, features a distinctive Maher dormer, second floor windows recessed behind columns, and a motif of tulips and triangles. It has been restored in recent years and now functions as an events venue.

Classic Chicago Magazine

I took the following photos of the Colvin House during a past Open House Chicago weekend, sponsored by the Chicago Architecture Center:

Unfortunately, the interior has been remodeled, removing virtually all of Maher's original design. The chandelier, however, and the stair rail, are original. The house is now an events venue.

Residence of Edwin M. Colvin, Esq., Chicago. The Architectural Record, 1916 Feb., v. 39, p. 175. ill, plans.

J.H. Hoekscher House

4506 N. Sheridan Rd., 1902

4506 N. Sheridan shortly after completion in 1902 (Inland Architect)

Interior photos available here

King / Nash House, 1901-1902

3234 W Washington Blvd., Chicago

This house is an amalgamation of the Sullivanesque, Colonial Revival, and Prairie styles. It was originally commissioned by wealthy businessman Patrick J. King, but its most well-known occupant was the influential Irish-Catholic politician Patrick A. Nash, who lived here from 1925 to 1943, when Washington Boulevard was one of the city's most-fashionable addresses.

Chicago Landmarks

Davey Pate / Charles Comiskey House, 1901

5131 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago

Maher designed this house for Chicago lumberman Davey Pate. The house was later owned by Charles Comiskey, long-time owner of the Chicago White Sox baseball team.

Magerstadt House, 1906-1908

4930 South Greenwood Avenue, Chicago

Completed the same year that Maher was devising a master plan for the Northwestern University campus, the Magerstadt House sits sideways on its deep, narrow lot, with the front door facing what is now the driveway. Visible from the street is a rectangular side porch whose pillars sport carved poppies.

Chicago Magazine

Elevation and plans above and photos below, HABS survey documents

This house is probably one of the finest works of George W. Maher, a contemporary of Frank Lloyd Wright, and one of the Prairie School. It shows a relationship to Wright's work of the time in its cubist massing, ribbons of windows, simple, low-pitched roof, and deep, unbroken eaves. The influence of Art Nouveau is also evident, as is seen in the extensive use of the poppy motif in the ornament and interior finish.

Library of Congress

This photo and other interior views on Redfin