A few local architectural gems

By Maureen Callahan

Old DuPage County Courthouse, Wheaton

This building, opened in 1896, replaced the original structure from 1868. It was built on land purchased from Warren L. Wheaton and is one of the rare Richardsonian Romanesque styles in northern Illinois. The duration of this design was short-lived as buildings of this type were expensive to construct. The red brick exterior features a bell tower and multiple turrets. These details are deliberate to remind the community of the purpose of defending law and justice. The tower was struck by lightning in 1988 but was rebuilt. The building served as the DuPage County Courthouse until a new building opened in 1990.

Photo courtesy of Albert Herring

Immanuel Hall, Hinsdale

Formerly known as Immanuel Evangelical & Reformed Church at the corner of Third and Grant Streets, this gem of a Gothic-style church rose up from the efforts of immigrants from northwest Germany. The same builders also built many other homes and businesses in the Village of Hinsdale. A pipe organ was added in the 20s, and ten stained glass windows, created by Chicago’s Flanagan & Biedenweg Studio, were installed in the nave a decade later. The lower level of the former church now houses The Roger and Ruth Anderson Architecture Center as well as the office and archives of the Hinsdale Historical Society.

Photo courtesy of the Avery Coonley School

The Avery Coonley School, Downers Grove

There is a common misconception that Frank Lloyd Wright played a prominent role in the design of The Avery Coonley School. Architect Waldron Faulkner was not a student of Wright’s, nor was the famed architect involved in the project, although Faulkner admitted Wright somewhat influenced him. It seems likely, by the abundance of long, linear, wide-open spaces, that came to be Wright’s calling card. Light-filled atriums are dominated by arches and fireplaces. Long brick walls and metal-framed casement windows contribute to this style. The horizontal lines and simple, geometric shapes were intended to complement the building’s natural outdoor setting, designed by Jens Jensen, in forested surroundings.

Photo courtesy of Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

Mayslake Peabody Estate, Oak Brook

This Tudor Revival style estate was designed by the Marshall & Fox design firm and was built between 1919 and 1922. The estate, located on 87 acres of nature preserve and wetland, was a country home for the family of wealthy coal magnate Francis Stuyvesant Peabody. It was loosely modeled after a country estate in Warwickshire, England. Tall, narrow windows, half-timbering, high ceilings, and an abundance of carved walnut wood are hallmarks of the home. A wildflower garden grows outside of Portiuncula Chapel, a miniature replica of St Francis Church in Assisi, Italy. After Peabody’s death in 1922, the home and estate were sold to the Franciscan Order.

Photo courtesy of G. LeTourneau

Ardmore Avenue Train Station, Villa Park

This inviting stone structure was commissioned by Ballard and Pottinger Real Estate Firm in 1910 as a waiting structure for the railroad. The idea was to create a house-looking building showcasing the English-style homes they sold. It featured a wood-burning fireplace and electric lighting – two amenities that would attract any would-be homeowner of the day. A wooden cornice gave the feel of a residence as well. It worked, as enough homes were commissioned to incorporate Villa Park in 1917. The station served the CA&E railway until it abruptly shut down in 1957. Today, the building houses the Villa Park Chamber of Commerce.

Photo courtesy of Grace Episcopal Church

Robbins Park Historic District, Hinsdale

Real estate tycoon William Robbins purchased 700 acres of land, a section of which he used to build a home for himself. The Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad added a railway station in Hinsdale in 1864. A population boom followed a few years thereafter when the Great Chicago Fire inspired a mass exodus to the suburbs. More than 300 buildings are included in this survey of land, most of which are homes, except for four churches. Most houses in the district are from the late Victorian era. Several others, including Robbins’ own home, represent the Gothic Revival style. Another 63 reflect the Colonial Revival style. Craftsmen and bungalows somehow worked their way into the mix, as well. There are just a few others of Italianate design.

Photo courtesy of Larry Kmiecik

DuPage County Historical Museum, Wheaton

The museum is housed in the former Adams Memorial Library and was designed by Charles Sumner Frost, who also designed the town’s railroad station. The library was named after its donor, real estate developer and miller John Quincy Adams, who was the fourth cousin of President John Quincy Adams. The building re-opened as The DuPage County History Museum in 1967. The architecture is of Richardsonian Romanesque style – distinguished by rough-hewn stone blocks, horizontal lines, wide-rounded arches, and detailed ornamentation. Each façade has a tall stone gable with pinnacles on either side near the base. Each gable has an arched window. Inside, the main hall features marble and oak wainscoting, oak floors, and plaster ceilings.