William W. Kimball House

The William W. Kimball House is a private residence located at 1801 Prairie Avenue in the Near South Side neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 9, 1971.[1]

William W. Kimball House
Location1801 S. Prairie Ave., Chicago, Illinois
Coordinates41°51′24″N 87°37′12″W
Area6.1 acres (2.5 ha)
Built1890–92
ArchitectSolon Spencer Beman
Architectural styleChâteauesque
NRHP reference No.71000291[1]
Added to NRHPDecember 9, 1971

History

The house was built in 1890–92[2] for William Wallace Kimball, a piano manufacturer. Kimball reportedly spent $1 million on the home. At the time, Prairie Avenue was known for its expensive homes designed in popular revival styles, and the district was home to many of Chicago's wealthiest residents. The Kimball House and the John J. Glessner House are the main two surviving examples of the district's homes of the late 1800s.[3] The house now serves as the headquarters of the United States Soccer Federation.[4]

Architecture

The Kimball house was designed by architect Solon Spencer Beman in the Châteauesque style.[2] The house's design features a number of turrets with a variety of roof shapes, a limestone exterior, and an elliptical bow window topped by an ornamented gable facing Prairie Avenue. The design is considered a significant example of the Châteauesque style by architectural historians; John Drury called the house "Chicago's best Châteauesque design" in 1941, and Marcus Whiffen cited the house as a representative example of Châteauesque architecture in America.

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. Sinkevitch, Alice; Petersen, Laurie McGovern, eds. (2014). AIA Guide to Chicago (3rd ed.). American Institute of Architects. p. 105.
  3. Benjamin, Susan (December 11, 1970). "Illinois Historic Sites Inventory Form: William W. Kimball House" (PDF). Retrieved October 13, 2013.
  4. "U.S. Soccer House". U.S. Soccer Federation. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
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