The Charnley House: From a Private Residence to Headquarters of the SOM Foundation

The Charnley House on Astor Street in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood was built between 1891 and 1892 as a residence for James Charnley, a wealthy lumberman originally from Pennsylvania, and his wife Helen Charnley. The Charnleys had lived on Lake Shore Drive and Division Street in a Burnham and Root-designed house for several years before buying a vacant 83.9 feet × 37.5 feet urban corner lot on February 12, 1890, for $27,500. The Charnleys were friends of architect Louis Sullivan and commissioned his office Adler and Sullivan to design their new home. Assisting Louis Sullivan in the design of this house would be his 23-year-old junior draftsman, Frank Lloyd Wright.

The Charnley House has long been recognized as a key work of modern architecture. The design by Sullivan and Wright rejected the historical details common to Victorian architecture, favoring abstract forms that later became the traits of modern architecture. As noted in the National Register of Historic Places Registration from 1998, facets such as “a use of materials that emphasizes planar surface, a manipulation of form and detail alike that emphasizes basic geometric relationships, a vigorous rejection of moldings and other minor elements then considered by most architects to be essential to a well-developed design . . . indicate a pointed search for a method of design that significantly departed from existing ones.” [1]

The symmetrical main elevation of the three-story building faced west on Astor Street and was divided vertically into unequal thirds. However, the compositional emphasis was horizontal with a 7-foot limestone base that extended beyond the south wall to form a garden wall. A projecting wooden loggia, supported by seven wooden cantilevers, sat in the recessed center bay of the second and third floors. It was the most embellished component of the exterior. The north and south facades used the same limestone and Roman brick as the west facade. The east facade of the house was of Chicago common brick and was windowless except for one small opening at the second-floor level toward the south end of the building. Inside, a dramatic stairwell was the centerpiece of the house. It was lit at the top by a skylight, which illuminated the rich wood of the paneling and railings. The first floor of the house accommodated the dining room and living room along with the entry vestibule and butler’s pantry. The second and third floors included the bedroom and bathrooms. The basement included the kitchen, pantry, wine cellar, and other auxiliary uses.

James and Helen Charnley lived in the house for almost a decade but, by 1900, the family was spending most of their time traveling or at a summer home in Camden, South Carolina. Between 1902 and 1911, the Charnley family leased the house to three different individuals: Joseph Winterbotham, Ogden Trevor McClurg, and Redmond D. Stephens. After renting it for five years, lawyer Redmond D. Stephens and Marion Stephens bought the house on November 3, 1911. Prominent real estate man James B. Waller bought the house from the Stephens on August 18, 1918, and members of the Waller family lived in the house until 1969.

That year the house was sold to Hawley L. Smith, Jr., with the understanding that the Smiths would occupy the Charnley House. Instead, the house was rented. In the late 1970s, the house was sold to Lowell Wohfeil, a well-known North Side real estate developer. During this time, architect John Vinci with assistance from Timothy Samuelson undertook selected restoration projects. In the mid 1980s, Wohfeil decided to sell the house, but he would only sell it to someone who would commit to preserve it. The house was for sale for almost two years before Wohfeil accepted the bid put forward in 1986 by the SOM Foundation that would preserve the house and turn it into their headquarters. That year was important for two reasons: it marked the fiftieth anniversary of the architecture office Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) and the SOM Foundation announced its intention to create an institute devoted to research. The goals of the SOM Institute (later renamed the Chicago Institute for Architecture and Urbanism) were the study of architecture, urbanism, engineering, and planning, and the advancement of the arts through educational endowments, support of museums and public organizations, preservation of archives, exhibitions, publication of special books on art and architecture, and other similar endeavors.

Between July and October 1986, several meetings took place at the Charnley House between board members of the SOM Foundation and SOM architects in charge of the restoration to review the proposed allocation of the SOM Foundation activities and the preliminary proposal for restoration. The restoration itself took place between May 1987 and May 1988.

Restoration Challenges

The challenge facing the restoration team was to take the landmarked house and adapt it for everyday use as the SOM Foundation, a research facility for the study of architecture and urbanism with a changing population of scholars and fellows. No original drawings of the house, nor correspondence or account books are known to exist, and this lack of primary research materials hampered the restoration efforts. The few early photographs of the house documented its exterior, but there were no illustrations showing its original interior treatment. To address this issue, the restoration team hired Timothy V. Barton to locate descendants of previous owners and occupants of the house to obtain any available documentation or photos. They also scoured photographic archives to find views dating from the earliest years of the structure. Prior to drawing any plans or making any physical improvements, the house was extensively measured, photographed, and analyzed. SOM’s restoration team, led by studio head John Eifler, relied heavily on other designs by Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright, such as Wright’s Home and Studio in Oak Park, to determine missing details.

Exterior Restoration

The house’s exterior was restored to match its 1891 configuration. That included the removal of a wing to the south that had been added in 1927, which had destroyed the facade’s perfect symmetry. The original courtyard was replaced, and the original south wall was completely rebuilt utilizing limestone and brick custom made to match the original. SOM restored paired windows on the third floor that had been combined by a previous owner and removed the windows enclosing the second-floor balcony that was originally open. A new copper roof and skylight were installed, and the intricate copper cornice was replicated on the south wall to match the original. Woodwork, masonry, and decorative details were replicated wherever necessary. SOM worked with Structural Stoneware Inc., a brick manufacturer in Minerva, OH, to produce Roman bricks to patch windows and restore the south wall.

Interior Restoration

The interior plan and finishes were restored to their original condition as much as possible while accommodating the programmatic needs of the SOM Foundation: all mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems were replaced; nonconforming interior partitions were removed; original paint colors and wood finishes were used throughout; in the entrance hall, the stained glass and patterned mosaic fireplace was restored as well as the skylight above the stairwell; in the library, the bookcases and window seats were restored.

The home was furnished with new pieces instead of period pieces, which were provided by multiple donors. Light fixtures, cabinetry and shelving, faucets and plumbing fixtures, desks and tables, carpet, and seating were acquired through multiple donations. For example, seating was provided by Steelcase, Herman Miller Company, GF Furniture Systems Inc., Bernhardt Furniture Company, Brickell Associates, and Atelier International Ltd. A Frank Lloyd Wright chair was loaned by The National Center for the Study of Frank Lloyd Wright from the Domino’s Pizza Collection. An Antonio Gaudí limited production chair circa 1920 was donated by Mr. and Mrs. Juanpere Miret. There were also chairs designed and donated by Stanley Tigerman and Margaret McCurry, Venturi, Rauch and Scott Brown Inc., and Michael Graves.

Charnley House Usage

On the first floor, the entrance hall, with its restored stained glass and patterned mosaic fireplace, accommodated visitors to the SOM Foundation and CIAU as well as visitors to the historic house. To the north was the library with restored bookcases and window seats, which retained its flavor as the room used for conferences and seminars. To the south, the former dining room became a conference room, still served by the old butler’s pantry. On the upper floors, the original bedrooms were designed for flexible usage as studios and carrels for the CIAU fellows. The offices for the director and support staff occupied the former service rooms in the English basement. The large kitchen at the south end of the basement was retained as a gathering place for the CIAU fellows and staff. Although the interior spaces were fully used, sometimes almost beyond capacity, the basic structure and distinctive detailing of the house remained uncompromised. John Whiteman, CIAU director between 1988 and 1991, noted that the ClAU’s program was not always well served by the house’s domestic spaces. The bedrooms were not well-suited as offices and fellows’ work was often displayed and sized to fit the stair hall niches.

Beyond the SOM Foundation and the CIAU

In July 1994, the Chicago Institute for Architecture and Urbanism closed down. All of the CIAU’s remaining assets reverted to the SOM Foundation (the CIAU operated first as part of the SOM Foundation and since 1990 as a legally separate entity), who agreed to make a new award in honor of the CIAU. The SOM Foundation, The Persky Foundation, and the Chicago Architectural Foundation joined forces that year to preserve the future of the Charnley House. Under an inventive plan, the SOM Foundation leased the building to The Persky Foundation until 1996. During this period, The Persky Foundation was given the opportunity to purchase the building. Public access to the landmark building continued under the direction of the Chicago Architecture Foundation (now Chicago Architecture Center) who coordinated tours as a requirement of the lease and sale agreement. Seymour H. Persky had originally planned to use the house as a museum to exhibit his own collection of architectural fragments and drawings. However, he changed his mind when he became aware of the necessary changes for this adaptive reuse. He then gave the Society of Architectural Historians his purchase option and the money to acquire the house, provided that they relocated to Chicago. The Charnley-Persky House, renamed in recognition of his support, became home to the Society of Architectural Historians. The proceeds from the lease and sale of the property were added to the endowment of the traveling fellowship program of the SOM Foundation.

Recognition

The extensive and careful restoration of the house by the SOM team was recognized with the 1990 Distinguished Restoration Award and the 1990 Citation of Merit by the Chicago Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Besides its designation as a Chicago landmark in 1972, the house was designated a National Historic Landmark on August 6, 1998 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The SOM Foundation is proud for its role in stewarding a historic Chicago Landmark that was pivotal to the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the few extant residences by Louis Sullivan to remain close to its original condition, and widely regarded as one of the seminal works of modern architecture.

Notes

[1] “National Historic Landmark Nomination,” NPGallery, National Park Service, September 7, 1997.

Project Info

Client
SOM Foundation

Architects
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Chicago
Partner: Bruce Graham
Project Manager: Donald Ohlson
Architecture Studio Head: John Eifler
Architecture Team: Didier Glattard, Gary Kohn, Renee Sprogis, and Anne Sullivan
Interiors Studio Head: George Yagow
Interiors Team: Susan Dyer, David MacKenzie, and Klaus Mueller
Mechanical Engineer: Karen Lindsey
Plumbing Engineer: Stefanos Peroustianis
Electrical Engineer: Robert Clark

General Contractor
L.J. Construction

Contractors
Plumbing and Heating: Royal Plumbing & Heating
Electrical: Power N. Electric Co.
Air Conditioning: Grosse Heating & Air Conditioning
Plastering: J. Wright & Sons Inc.
Masonry: Two Star Construction Co.
Roofing and Skylight: Gough & Bros.
Millwork and Painting: L.J. Construction
Leaded Glass: Wenz Art Glass
Marble Mosaic Repair: Franz Mayer of Munich, Inc.
Floor Refinishing: Matson Floor Refinishing

Consultants
Historic Paint Analysis: Robert A. Furhoff
Roofing: Dennis MacNeil