William W. Kimball House

William W. Kimball House
Location 1801 S. Prairie Ave., Chicago, Illinois
Coordinates 41°51′24″N 87°37′12″W / 41.85667°N 87.62000°WCoordinates: 41°51′24″N 87°37′12″W / 41.85667°N 87.62000°W
Area 6.1 acres (2.5 ha)
Built 1890–92
Architect Beman, Solon S.
Architectural style Chateauesque
Governing body Private
NRHP Reference # 71000291[1]
Added to NRHP December 9, 1971

The William W. Kimball House, located at 1801 Prairie Avenue in the Near South Side neighborhood of Chicago, was the home of piano manufacturer William Wallace Kimball. The house, which was built in 1890–92, was designed by architect Solon Spencer Beman in the Chateauesque style. 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 Chateauesque style by architectural historians; John Drury called the house Chicago's best Chateauesque design in 1941, and Marcus Whiffen cited the house as a representative example of Chateauesque architecture in America. Kimball reportedly spent $1,000,000 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.[2]

The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 9, 1971.[1] It now serves as the headquarters of the U.S. Soccer Federation.[3]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-07-09.
  2. ↑ Benjamin, Susan (December 11, 1970). "Illinois Historic Sites Inventory Form: William W. Kimball House". Retrieved October 13, 2013.
  3. ↑ "U.S. Soccer House". U.S. Soccer Federation. Retrieved October 13, 2013.