Homes designed by world renowned architects make Elmhurst unique

One thing unique about Elmhurst is its architecture including homes designed by the internationally acclaimed Frank Lloyd Wright and Ludwig Mies van de Rohe which people can see on an upcoming tour.

The Elmhurst Historic Preservation Commission will conduct two tours—one from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and the other from 1:30 to 3 p.m.—of the exterior of 20 buildings July 18 featuring the work of Wright, van de Rohe, Walter Burley Griffin and others, according to information on the city website.

In fact, Elmhurst is the only city in the United States with homes designed by both Wright and van de Rohe, according to a statement of commission member Chuck Goding in the Chicago Tribune. Homes featured were built from the 1840s to the 1950s, according to the website.

The Wright home is at the corner of Kenilworth Avenue and Adelia Street and van de
Rohe designed the McCormick House which is now part of the Elmhurst Art Museum, according to the Tribune. Other buildings on the tour include the York Theater, the Glos Mansion which is now the home of the Elmhurst Historical Museum, and the Old Main building on the campus of Elmhurst College.

“We’ve been doing surveying and meeting with property owners,” Goding said in the Tribune story. “We would like to reach a larger audience and have more impact. The 20 properties were chosen because they represent significant architectural styles by architects with local, regional and international reputations,”

The other architects include E. E. Roberts, Berkeley Brandt, H. G. Fiddelke, Harold Zook, and E. Norman Bridges, according to the city website.

Both tours start and end at the Elmhurst Historical Museum. The cost is $30 per tour and reservations are required. They can be made with Eileen Franz (630-530-3121). The tours will be conducted on the Elmhurst Trolley.