Own a Piece of History With This John Van Osdel Designed Greystone: 2430 N. Orchard in Lincoln Park
According to Wikipedia, John Van Osdel was considered to be among the first Chicago architects, was a peer of Louis Sullivan, among others, and designed many famous buildings including the Palmer House.
The listing for this 6-bedroom greystone mansion at 2430 N. Orchard in Lincoln Park says it was designed by Van Osdel.
If so, it would be one of the few structures of his that is still standing as Wikipedia said most were destroyed by fire.
The listing says the house was built in 1895. According to Wikipedia, Van Osdel died in 1891.
The listing says that 90% of the first floor of the home is “original.”
It has leaded stained glass, plaster crown moldings and built-in bookcases.
The master bedroom has wood beamed ceilings and one of three fireplaces.
The kitchen appears to have some sort of stone counter tops and black appliances with a breakfast island.
Built on a 41.67×125.75 lot, the house has a 2-car garage and central air.
Originally listed in July 2010, it has been reduced $196,000 since that time.
Belkis Muldoon at Urban Search of Chicago has the listing. See the pictures here.
2430 N. Orchard: 6 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, 7000 square feet, 2 car garage
- Sold in June 2003 for $1.85 million
- Originally listed in July 2010 for $2.695 million
- Reduced
- Currently listed at $2.499 million
- Taxes of $25,575
- Central Air
- Bedroom #1: 23×22 (third floor)
- Bedroom #2: 16×11 (third floor)
- Bedroom #3: 25×13 (second floor)
- Bedroom #4: 16×14 (second floor)
- Bedroom #5: 17×13 (second floor)
- Bedroom #6: 22×12 (lower level)
I’m not too familiar with the Lincoln Park mansion market, but somewhere north of $2 million seems reasonable for this if it’s in very good shape and the current owners have done some work in there since 2003. The devil is in the details with a property like this.
And I thought John Van Osdel was a DJ on XRT in the ’90s.
I am not in the market for a $2.5M house (and I’m not sure this is a $2.5M house), but I would certainly take this over 90% of the new construction cinder-block monstrosities out there.
Unless the current owners did a lot of “unseen” work I can’t imagine this being worth more than what it sold in 2003 for.
Beautiful home though… with some cleaning up and modern amenities it could be a real stunner.
LOL Madeline, was it B96 I believe?
Anyway, this place is beautiful, but I would wonder what the floors look like under all those indian rugs… probably aren’t in the best of shape at this price point.
I can imagine this house a creakin and a crackin with every footstep, but it is kinda neat
If i had 2.5 million i would be mad at myself if i spent it on this.
i got a boner seeing the master bedroom ceilings
man the groove loves his greystones,
if only the gap and bronzville will get better so many beautiful greystones chopped up into 4 apartments.
Mike Royko’s widow’s house.
“the blond”?
also “losing isiah” was filmed on this block iirc
back to 2003 price!
*faints*
SO gorgeous. All that woodwork. That flooring. That PLUSH DINING ROOM. And I love the kitchen with the matching cabinetry.
wantwantwant
This house is west of Clark, fer crissakes. Epic fail!
“This house is west of Clark, fer crissakes. Epic fail!”
And being on the west side of Orchard is in the Alcott attendance area rather than Lincoln.
Nice try, Chi_dad. Real ELP’ers know the cutoff is Halsted. Orchard is firmly a part of ELP, or as I like to call it, “Classy-Town”.
Anon, kids that live on Orchard don’t go to Chi schools, they go to Latin, or at worst, Parker.
“as I like to call it, “Classy-Town”.”
Yes, because they all go to St Barths “for the season” and try to mention it subtly.
Beautiful house.
Funny to see all those destination and Cappiello posters at 2MM+ property. May be they are originals?
“Anon, kids that live on Orchard don’t go to Chi schools, they go to Latin, or at worst, Parker.”
But that’s just because their parents are status-chasing DBs, and/or unwilling to put in the time with them at home. CPS’s only problem is parents like that.
yeah, you pretty much summed it up anon
St. Barth is a great place to go in the summer if you want to visit a unique island in the Caribbean that isn’t part of the third world.
Off season rates aren’t too bad – I don’t know anywhere else you can get a private villa with a pool on a mountain top and be in a place that isn’t a mind numbing tourist trap. Lots of locals in the off season. I probably wouldn’t like it as much in the winter/fall.
“Funny to see all those destination and Cappiello posters at 2MM+ property. May be they are originals?”
I would suspect so. Don’t particularly care for the cinzano ads, as they are over-repro’d.
The house has wonderful “bones” but any upgrades (if such were done since the last purchase) were not upscale or well thought out in the least. This is a 300+K re-do to bring it to the asking price. It is in company with other nice homes but looks at some rather horrible properties. I think 1.8 would be more reasonable if they want to sell it quickly.
anon (tfo),
Unfortunately the poster trend was so overused even originals look cheesy.
“anon (tfo),
Unfortunately the poster trend was so overused even originals look cheesy.”
That’s what I mean about the Cinzanos in particular and, frankly, Cappiello in general. Got to have stuff that you don’t see in Z Gallerie even if they are originals.
“That’s what I mean about the Cinzanos in particular and, frankly, Cappiello in general. Got to have stuff that you don’t see in Z Gallerie even if they are originals.”
That’s only b/c you are a status chasing db (with apologies to whomever didn’t like the use of db, but not sure s/he’s around any longer).
“That’s only b/c you are a status chasing db (with apologies to whomever didn’t like the use of db, but not sure s/he’s around any longer).”
It’s too bad that I’m so bad at it.
The status-chasing, that is.
“Nice try, Chi_dad. Real ELP’ers know the cutoff is Halsted. Orchard is firmly a part of ELP, or as I like to call it, “Classy-Town”.”
I live between Clark and Halsted in LP. Just some tongue-in-cheek amusement about this week’s SFH home on Belden being “too far west.”
‘Yes, because they all go to St Barths “for the season” and try to mention it subtly.’
nice one anon
Latin or Parker or even worser….St. Clement’s which is like 6 houses to the north and you don’t have to cross any streets.
Looks like the updates don’t jump out *too* much. I would be curious to see the first floor layout, I am a little confused if there is a double parlor plus dining room arrangement or what. The light fixture in the den area can accompany the poster and exit.
I know we should see beyond decor and all, but the carpets and drapery don’t help stage this place at all. It makes it look so dark and lifeless.
I toured with high hopes (I’m focused on vintage homes w/ a wide lot, so not many options) and was very disappointed. Nice bones but Ed said it correctly when he suggested the house needs +$300k in work. The current owners didn’t do much, and much of what they did did not make sense. Forced us to keep looking at this price range b/c I wouldn’t want to have close to $3mm into a house in this particular block of orchard.
I like the Spain poster — one of Guy Georget’s posters for Air France from the early 1950s. You find them in the $500-$900 range. Georget wasn’t as important as, say, Roger Broders was in the 1930s or Bernard Villemot (one of Georget’s contemporaries) was in the 1950s. But nice and it works well with the colors, which is why I imagine it was selected.
JVO was a DJ on Q101 also. He would host the local music showcase.
Just came across your post -better late than never! The house was designed by John Van Osdel, II. This building was part of a trio of houses designed by the architect for the Newman brothers of the Newman Piano Company. We posted about them last March:
http://designslinger.com/2010/03/23/newman-triplets.aspx
Van Osdel, two, also designed the recently demolished YMCA building on South Michigan Avenue. So, it was a Van Osdel, just not the more famous one.
Of the three JVO houses, the stone used for this house’s exterior is the softest, and – having bid on the work – I can tell you that it’s going to need several hundred thousand dollars worth of expert restoration to the facade.
Love St Barth in the summer..no crowds rent a jeep… snorkel, explore…. very french.. slumming with refinement. (yes no fear of dangerous encounters)
I do sense creaky floors.. lovely home.
It’s like 2 houses, a 19th Century Chicago first floor where you feel compelled to take up cigar-smoking and whisky drinking…then a second floor that’s a Paradore with fresh squeezed OJ and some delightful jamon y manchego.
They reduced this house to $1.995 million and it’s now under contract.