Frank Lloyd Wright House, Among Chicago’s Most Endangered Buildings, Bought By Nonprofit

The West Side’s only single-family home designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright is due for a multimillion-dollar refresh under new ownership after spending years in disrepair.

West Side nonprofit Austin Coming Together announced Wednesday that it purchased the J.J. Walser House at 42 N. Central Ave., which Wright designed for the Austin real estate developer for which the home is named.

The house, built in 1903 in Wright’s signature Prairie Style, became a city landmark in 1984, but it has sat in deteriorating condition and was the subject of foreclosure proceedings since its longtime owner died in 2019. The nonprofit is now planning to undertake restoration efforts expected to cost millions.

“The J.J. Walser House is part of Austin’s story, and we believe its next chapter should be shaped by the people who call this community home,” Darnell Shields, executive director of Austin Coming Together, said in a statement.

The home was previously owned by Hurley and Anne Teague since their 1970 purchase, according to Austin Coming Together. Following Anne Teague’s 2019 death, the property sat vacant for years. Without an heir who could pay for the property’s upkeep, it eventually fell into disrepair.

Last year, the home was named to both Chicago’s “most endangered properties” list by Preservation Chicago and Illinois’ Most Endangered Historic Places list by Landmark Illinois.

The home has structural damage, including holes in the foundation, the preservation agencies reported last year. The Teague family has publicly advocated for an entity to step in to preserve the home.

“When my grandparents purchased the Walser home, it represented upwardly mobile Black people establishing legacies for their families and creating a blueprint for home ownership in the Black community,” Charisse J. Grossley & Johnny Teague, heirs of Anne Teague, said in a statement accompanying its inclusion in Landmark Illinois’ report. “The preservation of this landmark is essential not only for its historical value to the community but also for its potential to educate future generations.”

Since its longtime owners’ death, the home fell into foreclosure. The Federal National Mortgage Association, the federal government-back mortgage holder known as Fannie Mae, took control of the Walser house in January, property records show.

The agency then sold the property in April to Community Initiatives Inc, a neighborhood revitalization group, records show. Austin Coming Together then purchased the home for $125,000, with $60,000 coming from Chicago’s Troubled Buildings Initiative, according to Crain’s. The sale is not yet publicly listed in property records.

Crain’s reported that Austin Coming Together is looking to fundraise for a rehab of the home, estimated to be between $2.7 million to $3.5 million, including as much as $575,000 that’s needed to stabilize the property.

“Our first responsibility is to stabilize this treasured landmark and protect it from further deterioration. From there, we will work with residents and partners to envision a future that honors both the house and the community,” Shields said in the statement.

The Austin nonprofit is joining other developments along the Central Avenue corridor, such as the recently opened Aspire Center For Workforce Innovation across the street at 5500 W. Madison St. Its leadership said it views the house as a “historic asset with the potential to anchor preservation, education, cultural pride, and community along one of the neighborhood’s key corridors.”

Austin Coming Together said it plans to share updates on next steps and community engagement opportunities related to the J.J. Walser House on the project’s website.

This story was originally published by Block Club Chicago and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.