Restore a 4-Bedroom Historic Pullman Mansion and Coach House: 602 E. 112th
This unique 4-bedroom mansion plus coach house at 602 E. 112th Street in the Pullman Historic District came on the market in September 2011.
At 3781 square feet, it is one of the largest properties in the historic district and is in a prime location, near Arcade Park and across from Greenstone Church.
Built in 1882, it is on a corner lot measuring 50×120 and has a large gated courtyard. I couldn’t find any mention of parking so I don’t think it has a garage.
The main house is apparently 4 bedrooms 2 baths and the coach house is 3 bedrooms and 1 bath (although I can’t be totally sure.)
Some of the original features are still present in the house including wood staircases and pocket doors. It has 3 woodburning fireplaces.I’ve been told the kitchen and baths need to be redone (and there are no pictures of those). There is also no central air.
Originally listed at $349,900 it has been reduced to $299,900.
The Pullman Historic District is one of the rare “triple threats” historic districts with city, state and federal landmark designations. What that means for homeowners is that the exterior as seen from the street must be restored to the architecturally correct state but the side not seen from the street and the interior can be restored as the homeowner sees fit.
Who has the vision to restore this mansion to its former glory?
Gene Biondi at Keller Williams Gold Coast has the listing. See more pictures here.
602 E. 112th Street: 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, 3871 square feet with a 3 bedroom/1 bath coach house
- Sold prior to 1995
- Originally listed in September 2011 for $349,900
- Reduced
- Currently listed for $299,900
- Taxes of $1910
- No central air
- Bedroom #1: 23×17 (second level)
- Bedroom #2: 10×13 (second level)
- Bedroom #3: 13×12 (second level)
- Bedroom #4: 18×13 (third level)
I went on the Pullman house walk with a friend last month. There were several open houses that day, aside from the houses on the tour. Charming homes, indeed, but such a tiny pocket neighborhood. I was really shocked by how many for sale signs were posted in the neighborhood. For fun, I took a look at what was listed on the MLS and this one definitely stood out. A beauty for sure.
Most of the house walk guides (maybe all of them) were residents and they were really pushing people to move down to the neighborhood. I asked one of them about schools and they told me that there was a city college and the U of C nearby…uh, I was asking for myself! Another one mentioned they took their kid to Clissold in Bevelry, but that means they need to drive twice daily through Roseland…that didn’t sound like much fun.
“uh, I was asking for myself!”
Correction–I *wasn’t* asking for myself
I like the house. Is it in “move-in” condition? Also since there are only 2 bathrooms to 4 bedrooms, I don’t have to worry about getting into a bidding war with Jenny.
What is the nabe like in terms of safety?
looking at the streetview of the surrounding area, surprised it looks pretty nice. i was expecting it to be much sketchier. the south side is huge uncharted territory for most northsiders
Don’t forget to budget for a security system!!!!
If I was younger, and had any hope that the neighborhood would improve (it won’t, it will get far worse) i’d be on this in a second!
It’s beautiful, but it’s so far from everything and so close to terrible areas. It will take a brave person to live here.
Off-topic but thank you Sabrina for replacing the comment link at the bottom of the post!!
Ch, you are right the south side is a huge unchartered territory to northsiders but those of us in the know wouldn’t mind if that stays true for some reasons. One being I don’t have to deal with traffic.
This house is beautiful and while Pullman is nice you don’t even have to go this far south to find such gorgeous homes. They may be more expensive in the 3000-4500 s range but still cheap compared to the north side.
One day more may learn…
Nice looking place, but I can’t imagine owning a mansion in an area surrounded by low cost housing. I imagine it was a difficult place to live in back then. If I am going to be rich and snooty then my neighbors better be rich and snooty as well. Granted $300k is by no means rich, but this building as a whole and the upkeep necessary is in another league from even the nicely restored row homes down here.
someone should come up with a technology to transport these buildings to better locations and become rich : )
I’d be all over this if it was not here. Gorgeous!
I know the area from getting donuts around here when I was pregnant. Old Fashioned Donuts maybe? Around 114th. Oh man, not a nice area. Reminded me of Detroit.
Benjamon9, are you referring to Beverly? Because I’m trying to think of another neighborhood on the South Side where you could get something of this caliber for 300k-450k. Even in Beverly that might be a stretch. If this were in Hyde Park it would probably be over $500k…an educated guess without looking at recent comps.
Old Fashioned is on Michigan, in Roseland, on other side of the tracks. Best donuts in the city!
“3000-4500 s range”
Oh wait, are you referring to blocks? 3000S to 4500S?
Chris, he was talking about 30th-45th Streets, Gap/Oakland/Kenwood (not 300k-450k), and said that they were (an unspecified amount) more expensive.
okay so Chris will be my agent, Russ my loan officers, HD my attorney. Groove will be the grounds security (you’ll work for beer, right?) and Sonies & Chibuilder will help me renovate/update the place!
“Old Fashioned is on Michigan, in Roseland, on other side of the tracks. Best donuts in the city!”
Wow…thought you were kidding. Impressive reviews on Yelp. That’s one insane looking fritter.
“Ch, you are right the south side is a huge unchartered territory to northsiders but those of us in the know wouldn’t mind if that stays true for some reasons.”
sounds appealing, wish i knew more peeps down there
“Wow…thought you were kidding. Impressive reviews on Yelp. That’s one insane looking fritter.”
I know someone originally from the s side who drives down there a lot. Seems like he always has a giant box of donuts on the weekends.
Chris and Roma…you figured me out. I’m sorry I was on the train and typing fast. Oakland/gap/bronzeville has lots of nice large places like this (although mostly greystones) and even in the price range you took the street range to be. 🙂
“sounds appealing, wish I knew more peeps down there”
That is the one reason I wish more people discovered the south side. As it is, I’ll take the pluses over that minus.
My northside friends and I joke that we may as well live in different cities with me living on the south side.
A great home at a great price in a beautiful neighborhood right next to Metra… just too bad it is surrounded by terrifying neighborhoods.
Benjamon9: agreed on The Gap/Oakland/Kenwood… huge untapped potential that is ripe for the picking.
“That is the one reason I wish more people discovered the south side. As it is, I’ll take the pluses over that minus.”
I believe that I have found my 2012 New Year’s resolution.This year it was “take advantage of the amenities of a world class city.” (meaning museums, theater, small music venues, etc.) I like the sound of “Discover the South Side” for next year. Thank you Benjamon9.
The location is terrifying, and for good reason. Might as well live in Englewood.
“The location is terrifying, and for good reason. Might as well live in Englewood.”
It’s far from terrifying. I recommend doing as Chris M did and going to the fall house tour. It’s really great what the homeowners are doing with these historic rowhouses.
Historic Pullman is great. But there’s little around there. I wish they would actually finish the restoration of the marketplace (and actually put a restaurant or coffee shop in there). Or some budding entrepreneur would open up a pizza joint in one of the few “stores” that dot the street corners. A new Walmart is still going in on the corner by the expressway, right? That will bring much needed retail.
The neighborhood is a close knit community. But I fear the housing bust is hitting it harder than most because it was already an “up and coming” area during the boom. A lot of the gains are likely being lost in the bust.
The housing really can’t be replicated anywhere else in the city- however there is a street in North Center, on Eddy, that has similar styled rowhouses also from the early 1890s. The exteriors also look similar to the Pullman rowhouses. There were recently several on the market in the high $200,000s. They are all under contract. I’m hoping someone is going to fix them up and flip them. If they do, I’ll crib about them.
Location is habitable. Its not Englewood or Austin as far as crime goes.
Its like trying to compare a sweet house in Round Lake or Grayslake (a.k.a middle of Freakin no where) to Glenview/Wilmette etc.
Its a non desireable area of the city. Location Location Location…
Just Sayin.
Thats it! Old Fashioned Donuts on Michigan, mmmmm! My in-laws live in Crown Point so when we would drive down there we’d get off at either 111 or 115, it’s just a few minutes off the highway. I know this home isn’t right in that area, but being anywhere close to that area is kind of scary. (And I’m from Detroit!)
“A new Walmart is still going in on the corner by the expressway, right?”
North of 111th, facing the Ford. Looks to be like your standard freeway facing “power center”.
I used to live in Roseland. I survived by driving almost everywhere. The corner of 111th at Michigan is no safer than the corner of 69th at Ashland.
Like comparing the Gold Coast to Cabrini Green, but all the richy rich people lived there and had no problem. Don’t knock Pullman until you live there..
“Like comparing the Gold Coast to Cabrini Green, but all the richy rich people lived there and had no problem. Don’t knock Pullman until you live there.”
I wish I could agree with your assessment but Pullman is no Gold Coast no matter how you slice it.
“I wish I could agree with your assessment but Pullman is no Gold Coast no matter how you slice it.”
Pullman’s a great, diverse neighborhood with some of the best housing stock in the city. Yes- there are rough neighborhoods nearby. It would help the neighborhood if some new retail were to go in there. I know they’re putting the Walmart in down the street- but that’s not what I mean. There are locations in the historic district that were originally retail/restaurants. They need to come back!
Pullman attracts people who really love architecture. The pictures someone posted with people waiting in line to get into the rowhouses is typical of the fall garden walk where residents open up their homes. There are a lot of architects who live there. Also a lot of artists because of the vibe and the lower cost.
Great location for those who love architecture and feel a calling to the area. Gentrification is inevitable and seems to be the pattern in Chicago. Regardless of the surrounding, a strong community base of neighbors who practically care about the economic development, beatification and quality of life will always win in the end.
I meant to say “beautification” and quality of life will always win in the end.
I’m going to check out Pullman in the next couple of weeks and stumbled upon this NY Times article about the restoration efforts which are currently underway:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/21/realestate/commercial/pullman-area-of-chicago-is-poised-to-undergo-revitalization.html?pagewanted=all
Although I’m grateful that they are preserving Pullman so we don’t lose more of our history, I don’t think it’s an efficient or sustainable model to throw millions of tax dollars to prop things up.
And I have mixed feelings about Walmart.
People do need convenient and affordable shopping, but good luck to any small businesses ever coming back to the area now.
And some of these community activists are completely delusional that the housing improvements will somehow result in a working class uptopia.
I predict more Section 8 housing to come out of this.
By the way, the Historic Pullman House Tour is coming up on Saturday October 13th and Sunday October 14th from 11 AM – 5 PM on both days:
http://www.pullmanil.org/housetour.htm
“By the way, the Historic Pullman House Tour is coming up on Saturday October 13th and Sunday October 14th from 11 AM – 5 PM on both days:
http://www.pullmanil.org/housetour.htm”
Thank you for the update Milkster. I’ve gone to this tour several times and have dragged my friends to it as well. It’s truly a great way to see the neighborhood and to see what goes into maintaining these historic homes.
“Although I’m grateful that they are preserving Pullman so we don’t lose more of our history, I don’t think it’s an efficient or sustainable model to throw millions of tax dollars to prop things up.
And I have mixed feelings about Walmart.”
Milkster, if you go to the neighborhood you will see why it needs help from the government to preserve it. It truly is a great piece of the city (and nation’s history) and could be so great if only they could renovate it and get the tour buses down there. This article doesn’t mention the marketplace building. It was originally a market with a little store etc. It burned down years ago. The foundation got some money to replace it but the last few years I have been down there a shell is all that stands there and there has been no progress on it.
There are no restaurants or shops within the historic pullman area – even though the original design allowed for it. I asked the homeowners on many of the tours “where do you go out to eat or to shop” and they all answered “the suburbs” (i.e. the south suburbs.) The only place within walking distance was the McDonald’s on the edge of the historic district.
It needs a few restaurants within the district. Otherwise, it is just a dead neighborhood with beautiful housing. I have mixed feelings about the Wal-Mart but there is not much else nearby and it will bring a grocery store. I don’t know what restaurants and things will come in the new huge development where the old steel plant was. That may help. The recession has hurt the restoration of this neighborhood. The homeowners are very dedicated, however. There’s something magical about those rowhouses. You have to see it to believe it.
The program mentioned in the article spearheaded by David Doig of Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives piqued my interest. You can buy a fully renovated historic rowhouse for just 100K. CCers with an interest in living in Pullman should look into it.
The fully rehabed houses are in the North Pullman area, and not in the Pullman area south of 111th Street.
Yeah a little too close to the Wild Hundreds for my taste
Went to Pullman last weekend.
It was not what I was expecting.
I thought it would be bigger, but the historic area south of 111th is very small.
Yes, it’s undeniably interesting, unusual, historic, cute, lovely.
But the whole place is like a museum – beautiful but dead.
It’s so isolated.
Hardly anyone was walking around on a beautiful fall day.
There are quite a few homes for sale or rent.
I thought we’d run into some quirky-hippie-bohemian-pioneer types, but we didn’t see any.
We did see some sketchy types here and there.
One guy yelling loudly on a bluetooth blew his nose into the street using his finger in lieu of a tissue.
He was definitely a tenant and not a homeowner.
As “T” stated, the rehabbed homes are in North Pullman,north of 108th Street.
Although the North Pullman houses have a similar look, they are mostly dilapidated and boarded up and the whole place has more of a Roseland vibe with a lot of peeps hanging out.
I see the importance of preserving the place, but I would never live there and was glad when it was time to go back to the city.
well there’s a reason you can buy a 3800sqft historic mansion for 300k here…. the hood is not desireable at all
I can not believe the comments that people make on here about Pullman. You don’t live there, you have no idea who the people are who live there, and you make comments about someone walking down the street blowing his nose without a tissue. Please let me know the “PERFECT” neighborhood you both live in, so I can move there too..
LOL!
On the contrary I have a pretty good idea who lives in Pullman.
I live on the Northwest Side, and yeah, it’s pretty perfect.
We’ll let you live there 🙂
Police officers, Fireman, states attorneys, teachers, and some really great people who have born and raised there. So, no you DON’T know who lives in Pullman. I am sure there are some non tissue using people on the Northwest side of the City too.
Hi T –
Those were the people I expected to and wanted to see, but I didn’t see them.
I don’t mean to rip on Pullman.
I’m just being honest about what I observed and aside from the architecture there’s nothing that inspired me about the location to make me want to live there.
That’s just me personally.
After all the hype it was a let down.
I suspect that if you visited during one of the historic home tour days, you’d have a more positive impression of the place when there are throngs of people milling about.
But on a regular day it felt depressing.
There were a few houses advertised for rent so maybe the sketchballs were tenants.
There is a transient element in that area which I did not expect to find, but it was there.
We checked out Beverly after Pullman and I definitely ran into the city workers you mention in Beverly.
Sonies, when we were in North Pullman we kept going “We’re in the wile hunneds!”
We got that from you and now it’s firmly ensconced in our repertoire.
Full Disclosure: i have been known to do a Farmer’s Wipe when I’m out running and have no tissue paper with me.
” I am sure there are some non tissue using people on the Northwest side of the City too.”
“Full Disclosure: i have been known to do a Farmer’s Wipe when I’m out running and have no tissue paper with me.”
Had to gthooi and, have to say, in my imagination it was a lot worse than what it was.
The Pullman version was a full-on snot rocket.
LOL! Snot rocket… I’ve seen hobos doing that in the loop its nasty
Yea the wil’ 100’s is pretty much on the news every night, arson, muggings, child killings, you name it… Luckily you went on a cold and blustery day, go on one of the hot ones and you’re pretty likely to have some sort of crime comitted against you, yeah its that bad.
I painted the public storage building on 1000w 111th back in the late 90’s, I spent enough time there to never want to go back!
Milkster: see this, and the archive articles on the left side: http://franoi.com/index.php?page=petals
Lots of info on the neighborhood.
oops, meant this one: http://franoi.com/index.php?page=petals-august2012
Wow- you guys have NO IDEA what you are talking about! None at all. Sonies- if you had been in Lincoln Park avoiding the muggers in the 1970s does that mean in 1997 you wouldn’t want to visit there? That’s what you are saying!
And no offense Milkster- but why were you in North Pullman??? It is NOT the older, rehabbed historic area. South Pullman was landmarked and saved first. It was only in the last few decades that North Pullman got any kind of designation and by then it was way too late to save a lot of that neighborhood. North Pullman never had the gentrifiers of South Pullman.
The renovated properties you saw were renovated in North Pullman through a program to try and help the neighborhood. Go to South Pullman near the hotel and the church and you will see a totally different neighborhood.
But yes- it is quiet and there is little retail. That’s my main gripe with the neighborhood. If only there were a few restaurants as there used to be then it might be possible. Also, if you really love architecture, there’s nothing like it in the United States. There are very few planned communities like it that still survive (there’s one north of San Francisco and there’s one in Alabama.) But none are the size of Pullman.
Who were the homeowners I’ve met there? Lots of architects (they love it) and then teachers, firefighters and others who just love the history. There is also a large gay and artist community.
As for the size of the community- yes, South Pullman isn’t very large. It stretches only a few blocks south and a few blocks east and west. Why would you think it was this huge place?
This house, by the way, is now off the market.
Hi Sabrina –
We went to North Pullman as well as the South Pullman historic district.
We went to North Pullman to see what was there and to check out the rehabbed homes after T mentioned that’s where they were – so thank you, T.
I’ll go into ANY neighborhood out of curiosity.
I’m not afraid, and I love non-GZ neighborhoods and I love the Southside.
I did a lot of exploring on the deep Southside last weekend.
I was also in Englewood, Chatham, Riverdale, Oak Lawn and Beverly.
I see the merits of South Pullman.
All I’m saying is it was not what I was expecting and I wouldn’t live there.
(Btw, I live in Albany Park, so it’s not like I’m a snob or anything!)
I expected Pullman to be more of the educated liberal utopia that you and others describe, but that’s not what I found on the day I was there.
That area has some problems just like all the neighborhoods have problems and I suspect there’s a different demographic moving into the houses for rent.
Jeez! People get so sensitive about Pullman.
Btw, Danhofer –
Thank you for the links. I found them very interesting.
Greetings from the Wild 100`s in Historic Pullman. Graystone Manor in Historic Pullman has been sold and is currently under major renovations. If you would like to see our progress please visit our Blog, http://gutsandglorygreystone.blogspot.com/ . I have been following this post for many years and have loved hearing the opinions on the house and the neighborhood. My wife and I have lived in Historic Pullman since 2006 and have dreamed of living in the Graystone since we first visited. I’m currently President of Friends of Pullman and Historian at Argus Brewery located in Historic Pullman.(that’s correct Pullman has a Brewery) I feel very comfortable in Pullman and have never felt threatened. I invite you all to Argus Brewery for a tour and tasting. I do tours on Saturdays and would love to have the opportunity to sell you on Historic Pullman. Visit http://www.ArgusBrewery.com for tickets.
Cheers,
PullmanHobo
Good luck PullmanHobo,
I will be following your blog closely.
may your hammer always swing to the left,
The Groove
one suggestion PullmanHobo, a better video camera if you get the time