| Address | Various |
|---|---|
| Built | Various |
| Architect | Various |
| Status | Designated Chicago Landmark District |
| Designation Date | July 30, 1977 (Final) |
| Neighborhood | Near West Side |
| Type | Residential district |
Direct quotes from the Chicago Landmark Designation Report
“One of the first of these buyers was Henry H. Honore, who purchased the home on the southwest corner of Jackson and Ashland. Honore, a prominent businessman, came to Chicago from Kentucky in 1855 and played an important role in the development of Chicago's park system.”
“Loomis was also a prominent Chicago real estate dealer. The block was one of several blocks in the area that attracted wealthy residents. Among these was Benjamin F. Ferguson, a lumberman who purchased the home at 1501 West Jackson Boulevard and donated a wing to the Art Institute of Chicago, and William J. Moxley, Jr., who served in Congress from 1909 to 1911.”
“The remainder of the Near West Side has been altered radically, however, leaving the 1500 block of West Jackson as the only block in the area east of Ashland to retain its original character.”
“(Barbara Crane, photographer) 22 Bay-front building at 1520 West Jackson is enriched with the ornament of the Second Empire style. Note the mansard roof with the prominent dormer window.”
“The last two structures built in the district, 1532 and 1539 West Jackson, are good examples of the Richardsonian Romanesque style. The distinctive architectural character of the district is, then, the result of a blend of four architectural styles popular in the latter part of the nineteenth century-the Italianate, Queen Anne, Second Empire, and Richardsonian Romanesque styles.”
“Elements of four of these styles-the Italianate, Queen Anne, Second Empire, and Richardsonian Romanesquecan be found in the homes on Jackson Boulevard. The homes in the district are built on narrow lots, approximately 25 feet wide, with several clusters of town houses.”
“Facades patterned in the Second Empire style are distinguished by high mansard roofs. Dormer windows are widely employed and chimneys often feature classical details. Perhaps the best example of the Second Empire style in the district is the structure at 1501-09 West Jackson Boulevard.”
“The home at 1501 West Jackson, which has been carefully restored, was the residence of Benjamin F. Ferguson. In the late 1880s, the Queen Anne and Second Empire styles gave way to the Richardsonian Romanesque style.”