Carson Pirie Scott Co-Founder's Son's North Shore Mansion Sells

GLENCOE, IL — A Glencoe mansion built more than a century ago for Samuel Carson, son of the co-founder of Carson Pirie Scott department stores, sold Monday for $2 million.

The historic home went under contract in October just a few days after hitting the market with a $1.7 million asking price.

Built in 1910, the three-story Georgian features five bedrooms, four full and two half baths and nearly 5,400 square feet of living space on 0.6 acres on Washington Avenue less than a block from the Skokie Country Club.

The ground floor features an updated three-oven kitchen, which opens into two family rooms, a large dining room, living room and a pair of powder rooms, according to its listing.

---

The home's lower level was fully gutted and renovated in 2017 with a wet bar, wine room and complete waterproofing. Outside, the property features a custom patio with a built-in fire pit and a landscaped lawn.

"This is a truly an outstanding home that exudes warmth and provides the perfect blend of the old with all of today's amenities," according to the listing from broker Susan Maman.

---

The home's first owner was Samuel Carson, according to a 1923 obituary. Carson, the son of the founder of the defunct Carson Pirie Scott department store chain, was born in 1862 in Amboy, Illinois, where his father, a Scoth-Irish immigrant also named Samuel Carson, founded a dry goods store in 1854. The elder Carson died in 1869, but his business partner, John Pirie, insisted his name remain on the firm.

As of the turn of the 20th Century, Carson Pirie Scott's two downtown Chicago stores each employed about 1,000 people, and in 1905 the firm moved into a new building on State Street designed by Louis Sullivan — a Chicago landmark now known as the Sullivan Center.

---

The department store expanded throughout the Chicago suburbs to include locations in downtown Winnetka and Wilmette's Edens Plaza by mid-century.

Other firms would purchase its assets in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, and eventual Carson's owner The Bon-Ton Stores liquidated its stores in 2018.

The 111-year-old Glencoe property has been an honorary village historical landmark since 2001, according to the village of Glencoe. That means any application for a demolition permit would be subject to a 180-day waiting period before it can be razed.

Property records identify the sellers as attorneys Jeffrey and Marchell Willian, who purchased the home in 1998 for $1.4 million. The identity of the buyers was not yet available in public records.

According to the Cook County Assessor's Office, the estimated market value of the property for tax purposes was $1.4 million last year. Its annual property tax bill is around $40,000.

---

• Address: 455 Washington Ave., Glencoe
• Built: 1910
• Lot Size: 0.6 acres
• Square Feet: 5,377
• Bedrooms: 5
• Bathrooms: 4 full, 2 half
• Last Sold: $1.4 million in January 1998
• First Listed: $1.7 million in October 2020
• Closing Price: $2 million on Jan. 5

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