The Historic Spencer Kimbell Mansion Is Now Under a Million Bucks: 2556 N. Kimball in Logan Square
We’ve chattered about the Spencer Kimbell Mansion at 2556 N. Kimball in Logan Square before.
See our June 2012 chatter here.
Since then, the 8-bedroom house has been reduced further and is now listed just under a million dollars at $999,000.
The listing now also says ” HAS BEEN SUCCESFULLY REPAIRED THE INTERIOR HAS BEEN SUCCESFULLY REPAIRED & ALL THE SET UP IS READY TO USE IT.”
This is a new listing agent, but this one also got the spelling of the house wrong. It continues to list it as the “Spencer Kimball” mansion.
But, if you recall, the street was named after the family later- but the city messed up the spelling and that’s how it ended up with an “a.” Originally, the Kimbells were spelled with an “e”.
The house is at the corner of Kimball and Fullerton and used to make up an area called Kimbell Farm. Here’s what I found out on the all-knowing Google:
“However, for historical reference and as a point of amusement, the original Kimbell Farm extended from Kimbell/Kimball Avenue (spelling “was flubbed” in the City’s 1909 re-naming) to a street name that escapes me, just a few blocks west of Central Park, and from Fullerton to just past Wrightwood.
Wrightwood Avenue was a gift to the City in 1895 by Martin Kimbell’s family, west of Kimball/Kimbell and allowed for its extension to Crawford (now Pulaski Road).
The Kimbell Farm supplied the early Town and City of Chicago with produce
and hay for horses in the late 1830?s, via an old Indian Trail, developed in part by Kimbell and others into Northwest Plank Toll Road. That street is now known as Milwaukee Avenue.”
The house is on an oversized lot measuring 81×125 and has a 2-car garage.
In the prior listing, many of the original vintage features were visible including pocket doors, beamed ceilings, and stained glass.
You can see a Youtube video of the former pictures of the interior here (warning- music!).
In the new listing, there are only 2 pictures of the interior. Previously, the kitchen had white cabinets and some white and stainless appliances (there was a stainless steel stove.)
6 of the 8 bedrooms are somehow on the second floor with the 2 remaining bedrooms and a library on the third level.
How low will this have to go before it finds a buyer?
Thomas Sasco at American Realty now has the listing. See the new pictures here.
2556 N. Kimball: 8 bedrooms, 5.5 baths, 5170 square feet, 2 car garage
- Sold in June 1997 for $345,000
- Sold in December 2005 for $1.2 million
- Originally listed in October 2011 for $1.249 million
- Reduced
- Was listed in June 2012 at $1,047,777
- Reduced
- Currently listed at $999,000
- Taxes of $13,109
- Central Air
- Bedroom #1: 28×14 (second floor)
- Bedroom #2: 15×16 (second floor)
- Bedroom #3: 14×15 (second floor)
- Bedroom #4: 20×15 (second floor)
- Bedroom #5: 15×14 (second floor)
- Bedroom #6: 14×18 (second floor)
- Bedroom #7: 14×18 (third floor)
- Bedroom #8: 12×15 (third floor)
- Library: 12×14 (third floor)
The house is at Kimball and Wrightwood, not Fullerton.
Having attended a brokers’ open house at this mansion some time ago, I can tell you exactly how “somehow” 6 bedrooms end up on one floor. The staircase terminates at a landing that takes up the central space of the second level. The rooms are arranged in a near-circle, with doors leading to/from the landing. (There are also a couple of bathrooms on this level.) The staircase proceeds the top level with more bedrooms & baths.
In fact, I believe that the “library” was originally a sitting room for the servants, whose bedrooms and bath were on the top floor (typical in many upper-class houses of the era).
I like the home and appreciate the repairs but think that there is still some free fall to be done at this listing price.
I love Logan Square, but that neighborhood has even more crime than W Rogers Park or E Rogers Park, or than other “marginal” north side nabes. It has the advantage of being close to downtown and being very pretty, but it’s still no place you’d let your kids walk down to the corner store in unattended.
The house is nice, but a little too much “four square”. I think it needs to come down a couple hundred thousand dollars.
Laura, I’ve lived in both and feel safer in Logan. To each his own.
Can someone point me to the comments on today’s Case Shiller index release that showed Chicago home prices have risen 10.5% from the March lows? I can’t seem to find them.
“Case Shiller index release that showed Chicago home prices have risen 10.5% from the March lows?”
Still down YoY, but a decent chance to break the streak with next months release.
house is at the corner of Kimball and Wrightwood, not Fullerton.
“I love Logan Square, but that neighborhood has even more crime than W Rogers Park or E Rogers Park”
Is Logan Square bigger and more populated than East and West Rogers Park combined?
“Is Logan Square bigger and more populated than East and West Rogers Park combined?”
Dont try to argue facts, Icarus.
The nice part of Logan needs to pull a reverse Uptown/Edgewater and kick the not nice part into a new community area–North Humboldt? South Avondale?–or give it to Hermosa.
Logan Square has a population of about 73,000.
The 49th Ward, which is E. Rogers Park, and the 50th Ward, which is W. Rogers Park, each have about 56,000 people, for a combined population of 110,000.
Compare Shakespeare (police) District crime rates- that’s the Logan Square and, I believe, Wicker Park, with the 24th District, which is Rogers Park-Edgewater. No comparison.
I’m Michael Giliano with Berkshire Hathaway Koenig Rubloff,My client just purchased the Kimbell mansion and is moving in. It sold for 960000. Beautiful Home