Emery House
Elmhurst
This single-family residence was designed in 1903 by Walter Burley Griffin for his high school classmate, William Emery, Jr. Over the next 90 years, Griffin’s original multi-level Prairie School design was altered by several additions, including a two-story sun room and garage. In 1998, new owners began a rehabilitation project that included demolition of the non-original additions, extensive structural and mechanical upgrades, reconstruction of an outdoor terrace, and a full restoration of the exterior stucco and masonry. The work was completed this year, shortly after its listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. Although several other Griffin houses in the Chicago area have been recently demolished and replaced by new residential construction (e.g., Elmhurst’s Beggs House and Winnetka’s Marsh House), the owners of the Emery House have been able to address 21st-century space needs while preserving the character of an influential early-20th-century design.