Claude Seymour House
[Claude Seymour House (1913) George W. Maher, architect /Image & Artwork: designslinger]
When Claude Seymour asked architect George Maher to design this house for him on Hutchinson Street in Chicago's Buena Park neighborhood, both men were familiar with the area. The Seymour house would stand on a block that already contained four other Maher commissions, beginning with the Scales House of 1894 and ending with the Seymour residence in 1913. It turned out to be the largest and most elaborate expression of Maher's mature Prairie style on the street - the crowning glory the group.
[Claude Seymour House, 817 W. Hutchinson Street, Chicago /Image & Artwork: designslinger]
The Seymour family lived in a house on Buena Avenue, on a piece of property that backed up to a large vacant lot which faced Hutchinson Street. The house on Buena wasn't exactly small, but Claude was a wealthier man in 1912 than he had been when he first came to Buena Park in 1903. He worked for Otto Young & Co. a jewelery wholesaler that specialized in eye wear. Claude's uncle was Otto Young, who made a fortune in downtown Chicago real estate and a wise investment in an expanding downtown department store called The Fair. His initial $200,000 purchase of a half interest in the company resulted in a multi-million dollar buy out several year later.
[Seymour House, Buena Park, Chicago /Image & Artwork: designslinger]
Seymour worked at The Fair for a number of years, probably looking after his uncle's investment, but returned to Otto Young and became president of the company upon his uncle's death in 1906. Young had no children and left his 20 million dollar estate to his sisters, which included Claude's mother, along with a $20,000 cash bequest to his nephew. When Seymour bought the empty plot of land behind his Buena Avenue address, the businessman was reported to be a millionaire.
Unfortunately, the Seymours didn't get to enjoy the Hutchinson Street house for long. A year after moving in, Claude died at the relatively young age of 46 and his wife Kathryn sold the home soon thereafter. Through the years Maher's exterior has survived virtually intact, although the original, open-air, sleeping porches have been enclosed. The interior plan has been adjusted to fit the needs of a modern family, but apparently with a sensitivity to the historic character of the house that the architect and its original inhabitants would still recognize the major living spaces.
See an earlier Maher Prairie Style design at: A Pleasant Home.
Posted by designslinger at 1/13/2011 4:54 AM 
Categories: Architecture, History, Preservation
Tags: George W Maher Buena Park mansions Prairie Style
Categories: Architecture, History, Preservation
Tags: George W Maher Buena Park mansions Prairie Style
Too bad for the sleeping porches! Interesting past and present.
Every building has a story - if you can find one.
Thanks you for sharing. I love Maher's work and am glad for any opportunity to learn more about the architect's houses. I'm not, however, familiar with Buena Park. Are there any other architecturally significant homes in the neighborhood?
There are! And we'll be posting about them in the upcoming year, so stay tuned.
Nice article and pictures.
I grew up on Buena and have parked in front of this home on many occasions (when there was no room on Buena!) This area is loaded with all kinds of history. For example the author/columnist Eugene Field had a home across the street. Dillinger stayed in an apt around the corner.
What was Seymour's address on Buena? Thanks.
They lived at 822 Buena. It's on the north side of the street, the second house east of Hazel. We love it when people find us and have a personal history to share with the places we post about. It brings even more life to them. Thanks for taking the time to comment, and for the compliment.