Ask a Chicagoan if she knows of the Glessner House or the Clarke House and she will likely have one of two answers: “No, I don’t know of them,” or “Yes, and I’ve been meaning to get there.”
These two house museum gems are worth a good look. They are both located in the Prairie Avenue Historic District, about two miles south of the Loop. The Glessner House is a National Historic Landmark and the only remaining Chicago work by influential architect, H.H. Richardson – and what a fascinating house to explore! Clarke House is the oldest house in Chicago (1836) and provides an evocative look into the city’s early life.
Both of them have amazing survival stories and our ability to experience them today is a bit of a miracle.
You can visit them with me this Saturday, November 7th! I give all the tours at the museums on the first Saturday of each month: Clarke House at 12 noon and 2pm, Glessner House at 1pm and 3 pm. More information here: Glessner House Museum and Clarke House Museum.
And you can check these out:
Journalist ABC7’s Roz Varon loves Clarke House. She was live there last week and takes us along on a one minute tour:
http://www.facebook.com/RozVaronABC7/videos/1069226953095564/
On a recent visit Chicago photographer John W. Iwanski captured beautiful shots of Clarke House that make you feel like you’re in 19th century Chicago:
Photographer and educator Liz Chilsen explores Glessner House in depth and shares some of the most colorful, warm photographs of H.H. Richardson’s masterpiece.
Take an evocative step back in time this Saturday! I hope to see you for a tour. Let me know if you have any questions.
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