Highland Park Frank Lloyd Wright House Sold On Behalf Of Charity

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — A historic house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright was sold last week, nearly five years after it was saved from the threat of demolition by a local couple who financed its restoration and donated the renovated property to charity.

Located on an 0.66-acre lot about a half-block from Lake Michigan, the 114-year-old Alice and George Madison Millard House was the first of two houses created for the couple by Wright to be listed on National Register of Historic Places and the third and final house designed by Wright in Highland Park.

After spending six years living at the Highland Park home, George Millard retired from working at the rare book department of A.C. McClurg in Chicago, and the couple moved to Pasadena, California. Alice Millard became a noted seller of books and antiques herself in the years following her husband's death, commissioning another home from Wright that was completed in 1923.

By 1992, the Highland Park property had fallen into disrepair, with one wing of the house appearing to be separating from another and fabric on walls holding back crumbling plaster, Chicago Magazine reported. That year, it was purchased for $485,000 by Claire and Juan Montenegro, and over the course of the next 19 years, they completed significant repairs, including restoring the original porch and adding a new foundation.

The Montenegros first listed the property in May 2011 with a $1.4 million asking price. The price was gradually reduced over the near few years, down to $750,000 in September 2015.

After the Highland Park Historic Preservation Commission granted conditional approval to demolish the house in October 2015, Highland Park residents Gale and Rickey Rothner decided to step in.

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"They were at the point of tearing it down — and that's the point at which I got involved," Gale Rothner told JUF News last year.

The Rothners purchased the house in December 2015 for $687,500 and carried out extensive improvements to meet the demands of a contemporary buyer and make the house move-in ready. The renovations were carried out with architect Douglas Gilbert, Landmark Construction and Highland Construction, according to the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy.

The home features 68 art glass windows, original fixtures, fireplaces and millwork. There's also a fireplace, dressing room and private balcony in the updated master suite. It also has radiant heating throughout the home and new air conditioning, according to its listing.

Mrs. Rothner said she expected the renovation project would take about six months. But instead, she told JUF News, it wound up taking three years. The updates included a new garage, a transformed maid's room, a finished cellar, a converted master suite and extensive storage.

The goal of the project was to prevent the demolition of the house and dedicate the proceeds to charity. Earlier this year, the Rothners donated the house to the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, with the proceeds going to CJE SeniorLife, according to JUF.

It was listed publicly last month for $950,000 and sold Aug. 12 for its full asking price. The new buyer has not been identified in public records.

"This was just an incredible win-win situation," said Linda Haase, senior associate vice president of marketing communications for the Jewish United Fund. "Gale and Rickey are extraordinary generous people who did two good deeds at once — They saved this beautiful, historic landmark from the wrecking ball and also made a tremendous gift to the community."

• Address: 1689 Lake Ave, Highland Park, Illinois
• Built: 1906
• Lot Size: 0.66 acres
• Square Feet: 3,061
• Bedrooms: 4
• Bathrooms: 4 full, 1 half
• Previous Sale: $687,500 in December 2015
• First Listed: $950,000 on July 17
• Closing Price: $950,000 on Aug. 12

Listing information originally appeared on realtor.com. For more information and photos, click here.