A Pleasant Home


[Pleasant Home (1897) George W. Maher, architect /Image & Artwork: designslinger]

Now the home of the Historical Society of Oak Park & River Forest, the residence
occupying this five acre piece of land in the Chicago suburbs was built in 1897 by John Farson and designed by George W. Maher. Maher was an up-and-coming architect in a new architectural style soon to be dubbed the Prairie School. He had apprenticed in the office of Chicago architect Joseph L. Silsbee along with a young man from Spring Green, Wisconsin by the name of Frank Lloyd Wright. Farson's house was called an ideal suburban home with its wide verandas and lack of European decorative frou-frou. Even in 1898 the design was recognized for its earth-hugging horizontal motif, an "original stamp" on the American landscape.


[John W. Farson/Pleasant Home, September 30, 2009 /Images & Artwork: designslinger]

Needless to say to construct a house of this size took money and  Farson was a wealthy
man. A lawyer, investment banker, real estate investor, he had the kind of cash you needed for this kind of project. It was an unconventional house for a pretty unconventional man. At the time of his death in 1910 he had a collection of over 100 richly colored vests which apparently went along with a colorful personality. He was known for his laugh, his joke-telling and had a reputation for not always towing the line. He got into a very public debate with the rather staid ministers of Oak Park in 1908 when they proposed a week of public prayer for the benefit of the community. Farson thought Oak Park was doing just fine and didn't need prayers, just fewer preachers.


[Dormer detail /Image & Artwork: designslinger]

In 1919 Herbert Mills purchased the property and died there in 1929. After sitting
unoccupied for the next ten years, Mills' heirs sold the 30-room mansion and the large adjoining acreage to the Village of Oak Park for $212,000. Today the formerly, formal gardens are the green lawns of Mills Park yet the house still retains the name John Farson gave it in 1897, the very lyrical, Pleasant Home. Was Farson projecting his image of home life into the name? Perhaps. It also just so happens that the house sits at 217 S. Home Avenue at the intersection of Pleasant Street.

See more of George Maher's work at: Just Around the Corner.
Posted by designslinger at 5/27/2010 2:00 AM
Categories: Architecture, History, Architects, Preservation
Tags: Prairie Style Oak Park IL. John Farson George W. Maher
 

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  • 5/27/2010 12:49 PM Chris wrote:
    I was very excited to see the entry about Pleasant Home. I am a long time volunteer for Pleasant Home Foundation (the organization charged with overseeing operation and restoration of the home) and we could use all of the exposure we can get. Thanks.
    1. 5/27/2010 3:51 PM designslinger wrote:
      You're very welcome!
  • 6/1/2010 11:10 AM Joanne Capella wrote:
    Isn't this Maher building a jewel? I stumbled across this house museum on an Oak Park Web site while researching a trip to Oak Park for Wright Walk Plus a few years ago. If not for that we might have entirely missed the opportunity to visit it. I would strongly encourage everyone visiting Oak Park to see it.
    1. 6/2/2010 5:44 AM designslinger wrote:
      It is a jewel, and definitely worth a visit. Thanks for stopping by.
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