Gold Coast Neo-Moorish Masterwork with a Rooftop Dome for $7.9 Million at 79 E. Cedar
This single family home at 79 E. Cedar in the Gold Coast came on the market in April 2025.
Anyone who has walked down Cedar, notices this home. I have taken pictures of it for 15 years.
And now we get to see inside.
Built in 1884, the listing says it was Bertha Palmer who commissioned architect Joseph Lymen Silsbee of Silsbee and Kent. The listing calls it a “neo-Moorish masterwork.”
It’s on a smaller than standard Chicago lot measuring 26×72. It has an attached, heated 2-car garage. There’s apparently no backyard, but there is heated pavement in front of the home.
The listing says the house also has original latticework and wrought iron fences.
It has been “meticulously refurbished.”
It has many vintage features including 5 fireplaces, including one in what looks like the primary bathroom.
The house also has a wood staircase in the entryway, with carvings. There’s wood crown molding and wood floors on the main level.
The house has 5 bathrooms and 4 powder rooms.
The listing says there’s a spa (but no pictures).
There are 3 kitchenettes and a wine room (no pictures).
The listing also says there is a “Parisian style elevator” that serves all floors (no pictures of it).
3 of the 4 bedrooms are on the second floor and the primary is on the third floor.
There are pictures of a kitchen which has stainless steel and wood cabinets and stainless steel appliances.
The house has a separate dining room.
The listing has a theater room in the basement along with the laundry room.
But the most unique feature is the rooftop conservatory which has a gold dome and a terrace which wraps around the conservatory.
If you watch the video on the property, it is only of the outside of the home, but you can see the rooftop terrace is large enough to have several eating and seating areas, including a grill.
There is also a second balcony on the third floor that wraps around the home as well.
The listing says there are “lake views from every room.”
It has central air.
The listing calls it “one of a kind.”
This house is near Lake Shore Drive, several bus lines, the shops and restaurants of the Gold Coast and the Mag Mile. It’s also near Oak Street Beach.
Listed in April 2025 for $7.9 million, it appears that it hasn’t been on the market since 1996, whcn Redfin and Zillow say it sold for $1.035 million.
There are only 7 single family homes available in Chicago over $7 million right now.
Will the sellers get their price?
Mia Wilkinson at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices has the listing. See the pictures and the video here. (Sorry, there’s no floor plan).
79 E. Cedar: 4 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, 7,523 square feet, single family home
- Sold in June 1996 for $1.035 million
- Currently listed at $7.9 million
- Taxes of $32,425
- Central Air
- 26×72 lot
- 2-car attached heated garage
- 5 fireplaces
- Parisian style elevator
- Bedroom #1: 24×23 (third floor)
- Bedroom #2: 24×22 (second floor)
- Bedroom #3: 13×14 (second floor)
- Bedroom #4: 16×15 (second floor)
- Living room: 37×24 (main floor)
- Dining room: 23×11 (main floor)
- Kitchen: 16×13 (main floor)
- Foyer: 7×7 (main floor)
- Theater room: 17×21 (basement)
- Laundry room: 10×8 (basement)
- Other room: 23×16 (third floor)
- Balcony: 32×17 (third floor)
- Terrace: 61×25 (fourth floor)- is this also the conservatory and dome?
I’ve always loved the exterior of this house and the fact that it has lake views. I think “neo-Moorish” is a excellent description. And while there’s a lot comments one could make about this place, two jump out at me. One, this place is visually noisy (furniture plus décor) which makes this seem far tighter than 7,500 sqft should feel. Two, that stainless steel kitchen with a few wood cabinet doors is just odd.
Excited to see what the next owner does with this. Great potential to respectfully update and tie things together better.
I want to love it but the decor and finishes are really hard to get past.
Whoever put this on the market had better throw away 90% of the stuff in the house and then take the photos again. They are a huge turn-off. I can’t imagine someone selling something for this much would work with an agent who doesn’t know what they’re doing.
Even with all the clutter gone, it probably wouldn’t be that attractive to most people. It’s like living in a museum.
This place is funhouse-crazy-great. The market for it is infinitesimal tho, for so many reasons. Gotta believe it will sell for far less than ask. Kinda sad.
White elephant, suitable for a low-traffic “family-wealth” boutique office.
Awesome curb appeal.
Anyone entertaining buying a $8MM home like this, is not looking for move in ready/on trend
The place next door just sold:
https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/77-E-Cedar-St-60611/home/14122450
Obviously doesn’t have the direct view of the lake from the upper floors, and is also somewhat questionable on interior finishes…I just don’t see this one as nearly 2x better (it is clearly better by some amount).
What’s with the tax under-assessment going on with this block? This place was taxed as though it was a ~1.6 MM property and next door was taxed at ~2.4 MM. I can understand the latter, but no one could possibly think that this place – bought in 1996 for just over 1 MM – only appreciated 60% in 30 years.
“What’s with the tax under-assessment going on with this block? This place was taxed as though it was a ~1.6 MM property”
Property Classification = 211
What’s that? Two to six apartments, over 62 years; Assessor thinks it is 4.