Beverly-Morgan Park Home Tour Showcases 'Lore And Legend' Of 5 Homes

CHICAGO – On a sprawling four-acre wooded lot in Beverly/ Morgan Park a 19th century mansion stands on the largest residential property in the city. Local lore and legend have surrounded the home for generations. Was it once a stop on the Underground Railroad? Were the grounds once home to Native American ceremonial gatherings under the grand Council Oak?

Find out how historical researchers have separated fact from fiction, and the fascinating true history that still enchants and entertains, on Sunday, May 19, noon to 5 p.m., when the Beverly Area Planning Association hosts the Beverly/Morgan Park Home Tour.

The mansion is one of five fabulous private residences — three of them with deep roots in area history — will open their doors to visitors curious to get an inside look at some of our community’s most beautiful places. The tour will begin at Smith Village, a uniquely vibrant senior care community celebrating its 100th anniversary.

The 2024 home tour ranges from a Victorian-era Morgan Park mansion steeped in history and lore to a modest Depression era West Beverly brick house expanded and completely remodeled for modern family living.

This year’s homes highlight how owners have preserved the elegance and style of their historic homes; how unique original architectural elements mesh with contemporary kitchen, bath and basement updates; how a modest house can be transformed by efficient and appealing additions, and lots more.

At each house, visitors will enjoy Home Tour hospitality, experiencing tastings from local eateries and brewpubs, decorating ideas, neighborhood history, and more.

Honoring both the past and the present, Smith Village will be the starting point for this year’s tour. The vibrant senior living community is celebrating its 100th anniversary, looking back at its beginnings in 1924, first as Oakhaven Old People’s Home and later as the Washington and Jane Smith Home. In 2005, the his­toric five-acre site was redeveloped and renamed Smith Vil­lage and in 2007, res­i­dents began moving into the continuing care community’s beautiful inde­pen­dent liv­ing apartments.

Private homes being showcased include:

The Italianate mansion surrounded in lore was built by a prominent Morgan Park real estate investor, and once the home of a world traveling University of Chicago geography professor and his wife who were brilliant hosts, opening the home to students and colleagues. Last featured on the Beverly/Morgan Park Home Tour in 1989, the family in residence at that time redecorated the house using lovely reproduction wallpapers reflecting the home’s Victorian elegance. Current owners have preserved the home's original integrity while adding updated amenities including a new kitchen and baths.

A gracious painted lady Victorian designed by a noted architect for his home. Just ten years later, the local businessman then in residence hired architect Henry K. Holsman – another noted architect who may be best known for starting the “high wheeler” car craze — to design a flawlessly seamed addition. Original architectural elements in this house have been pristinely preserved by subsequent owners, including working pocket doors and striking stained glass windows and doors. A stunning hand-carved staircase is outfitted with small drawers that hold charming treasures from previous owners, including the late Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stephens who lived there for several years.

A Tudor Revival built for a noted financier, construction on this house was completed just weeks before the stock market crash of 1929. No expense had been spared for the exterior and interior detailing that creates a uniquely distinctive elegance handcrafted by master plasterers and carvers. In recent years, owners discovered, restored, and reinstalled intricately decorative bronze light fixtures in almost every room.

Built in the 1880s, the East Beverly Queen Anne Victorian was one of just a few homes that dotted what is now Beverly/Morgan Park. The current owners, like their predecessors, are carefully preserving the handsome original woodwork, floors, windows, and fireplaces. The beauty of those elements is a perfect backdrop to the owners’ outstanding collection of original artwork on themes that range from the iconic to the eclectic.

In West Beverly, a 1930s Cape Cod has been totally transformed into an open concept family home. A reconfiguration of the front of the house and large addition to the back have given a 90+-year-old house a whole new feel. The recent remodeling of the kitchen/family room showcases an island that not only seats six people along one side, it houses ample storage for oversized and seldom used items. The kitchen overlooks a cozy seating area complete with a fireplace, window seats, and bar.

On Home Tour day, only the south entry at Smith Village, 2320 W. 113th Place, Chicago, will be open from 12 to 3 p.m. for Home Tour check in and ticket sales. Featured homes are open from noon to 5 p.m. All tours are self-guided, and must begin at Smith Village by 3 p.m. Featured locations are not within walking distance.

Home Tour tickets are available online at BAPA Home Tour for $30 in advance or $35 at the door for BAPA members, or $35 in advance or $40 at the door for non-members.

Information about BAPA’s Beverly/Morgan Park Home Tour is available at 773-233-3100; Facebook and Instagram.