Medills, McCormicks and a Mansion
As you wander through Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood admiring the beautiful facades
of late 19th and early 20th century architecture, you can't help but pause at the large home at the corner of Astor Street and Burton Place. The ocher-colored Roman brick, the ornate entry porch, and the size of the house, makes it unlike any of its neighbors. Designed by Stanford White in 1891, the home is not what you would expect from the architect known for his gleaming limestone and marble mansions for his primarily East coast clientèle.
The home was built for Elinor Medill and her husband Robert Patterson. Elinor's father
Joseph Medill was the owner and publisher of the Chicago Tribune, a man credited with helping make Abraham Lincoln president. Elinor's two children followed in the publishing footsteps of their grandfather, with son Joseph becoming the publisher of the New York Daily News, and daughter Eleanor "Cissy" becoming the owner and publisher of the Washington Times-Herald. Cissy was what they would have once termed a "live-wire." She never took no for an answer, always spoke her mind, didn't find men intimidating in the least, and liked to show up for editorial meetings in riding clothes, or evening wear. The house was aquired by another scion of old Chicago family pedigree, when Cyrus McCormick II, purchased the house in the 1920s.
While the house makes quite a statement, I have always been intrigued by the detail which
sits at the top of the wrought iron fence. I've admired those whimsical caps; two small petals unfolding to reveal a little orb, perched in a "v" opening. The repetition of the design coursing across the property line adds something special to the large, massive house.
As we wandered down Astor Street we came upon a little park that has been at the corner
of Astor & Goethe since being deeded to the city in 1847. Goudy Square Park was an entirely different space. When I lived here years ago, this corner was an asphalt covered plot, surrounded by a chain link fence, with a few swing sets, a slide, and a rusty jungle gym. It was a very pleasant surprise to find the park transformed, and even more surprising to see the detail from the Patterson-McCormick house fence recreated around the delightful play lot. I realized that I was not the only person who found that small cap design very attractive.
Posted by designslinger at 5/12/2009 3:45 AM 
Categories: Cities, Architecture, Architects, History
Tags: Joseph Medill Patterson Eleanor Cissy Patterson publishers Gold Coast mansions Chicago Tribune
Categories: Cities, Architecture, Architects, History
Tags: Joseph Medill Patterson Eleanor Cissy Patterson publishers Gold Coast mansions Chicago Tribune
Eleanor Medill was nicknamed 'Cissy' after family friend Bertha 'Cissy' Honore Palmer.
Thanks for the tip. Never knew Mrs. Palmer was called "Cissy."