A little self-promotion

Actually, this is a note promoting one of my other blogs. One year ago, I started blogging one of my hobbies: my research on the architect J. L. Silsbee. It isn’t a subject that grabs visitors the way that picture rail, paint stripping or rain barrels do but I think that if you are a fan of art, old buildings and local history, it is something that might appeal to you.

I became interested in Silsbee while living in Buffalo, N.Y., when I found a series of buildings there designed by an architect from my hometown, Syracuse, N.Y. Moving to Chicago, I completed a sort of “Silsbee pilgrimage” by living in each of the cities where he had an office.

With the help of many others, I have uncovered over four hundred fifty works by Silsbee scattered across the country.  One of these days I hope to publish some of this research but that seems more and more unlikely as my free time is not as plentiful as when I started this hobby and my past attempts for grants and publishing have been met with nothing but rejection.  In the meantime, my sole publishing outlet is through the blog.  So far, I have blogged forty-two of Silsbee's works. At that rate, I will have blogged all of his known works in about ten years; if I don’t “discover” any more. This is unlikely, as new works seem to come up on a regular basis.

I hope you take the time to go and check out the other blog. The works are organized by building type and year they were designed.  There are a lot of nice pictures and there is even a map locating all of the structures I have blogged. Hope you enjoy it.

-Chris

If You're Into Old Homes and in Central New York

I came across a pretty great tour on the internet.  Having grown up in Syracuse and being a big fan of architect Joseph Silsbee, I couldn't help but spread the news.

Next month, on June 4th and 5th, the Barnes Foundation is holding a reception and tour to benefit the restoration of the Barnes Hiscock Mansion.  The mansion is one of the oldest surviving homes on what used to be Syracuse's Millionaire's Row.  It was built for George and Rebecca Barnes and the place is brimming with history.

In 1878 and 1882, George and Rebecca hired Silsbee to design additions and renovations to the home.  For more info on those, you can check out my other blog: Searching for Silsbee.  The place is spectacular and this is a rare chance to see the interiors.

The tour also features garden tours of six homes. It looks like a great way to spend the day for a great cause. For more information about the tour and reception, click here.    

Kenilworth Tour - a reminder

Pleasant Home Foundation Presents:

Maher, Silsbee, and Burnham: A Look at the Early Architecture of Kenilworth

Join architectural historians Kathleen Cummings and Bill Hinchliff to explore the early buildings of Kenilworth, Illinois. The afternoon program will begin with a visit to the Kenilworth Historical Society's current exhibit and a brief talk about the character of the early village. An exterior walking tour of houses by George Washington Maher, Franklin Burnham, and Joseph Lyman Silsbee will follow.

Sunday, May 6th 2:00pm

Kenilworth Historical Society

415 Kenilworth Avenue

Kenilworth, Illinois

PHF puts on awesome events involving architectural history, tours, old homes, etc. The program admission is $20 and all proceeds benefit the Pleasant Home Foundation, whose role is to oversee renovation of the National Landmark, Pleasant Home. If you are in the Chicagoland area this Sunday, this program should be great. The weather is supposed to be spectacular - perfect for walking around one of the nicest neighborhoods in the country.

Here are a couple teasers for you:

If you are into old homes, here are a couple of events you shouldn't miss

If you are in the Chicagoland area, there are a few events sponsored by Pleasant Home Foundation you should seriously consider attending. PHF puts on awesome events involving architectural history, tours, old homes, etc. Each of the 2 tour programs is $20 and all proceeds benefit the foundation, whose role is to oversee renovation of the National Landmark, Pleasant Home. I'll try and update this later with photos to hopefully make it more enticing.

The tour portion of the May 6th program should be great. Yours truly will be speaking about Silsbee in front of the only surviving home by that architect in the town. One of the reasons for the tour is to shed light on the earliest structures in Kenilworth. It seems critical given it's designation as an endangered place by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Maher, Silsbee, and Burnham: A Look at the Early Architecture of Kenilworth
Join architectural historians Kathleen Cummings and Bill Hinchliff to explore the early buildings of Kenilworth, Illinois. The afternoon program will begin with a visit to the Kenilworth Historical Society's current exhibit and a brief talk about the character of the early village. An exterior walking tour of houses by George Washington Maher, Franklin Burnham, and Joseph Lyman Silsbee will follow.
Sunday, May 6th 2:00pm
Kenilworth Historical Society
415 Kenilworth Avenue
Kenilworth, Illinois

The next program gives you interior access to two amazing Prairie Style homes by George Maher (and some wine and cheese to boot).

Preserving the Prairie School: A Future Orientation
Vincent Michael, director of the historic preservation program at the School of the Art Institute and a member of the board of directors for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, will give a poignant lecture to help us understand why and how to save important Prairie School structures, in one of five structures in Oak Park by leading Prairie School architect, George Maher.
Friday, May 18 6:30 pm
Unity Church (G. Maher’s J. H. Taylor Home)
405 N. Euclid Avenure
Oak Park, Illinois
A special reception at G. Maher’s Caldwell House will immediately follow the lecture.

If you have any questions or want to register, follow this link to Pleasant Home.

Finally, (and I saved the best for last) mark your calendars for this event coming in June. More details will follow regarding times and fee.

Tagged

I was tagged by one of the other bloggers to list 5 things that many of you probably don’t know about me. Since the blog has been rather limited in scope, that shouldn’t be too difficult. Now, if only I can do this without embarrassing myself too much.

1. I am a hoarder. This excludes the old postcards, candles, pottery and other crap I actually “collect”. I save just about anything regardless of what it might be worth. I have old newspapers and clippings, birthday cards I received when I was in high school, old report cards, broken tools, books that I will never read again, old bills, you name it… …I save it. Living in a small bungalow is incredibly difficult because this curbs my propensity to save crap.

2. I have played the following parts in high school or college theater: The King of Siam, Judas, and Schroeder.

3. One of my favorite TV shows is Dawson’s Creek. Even my closest friends find this strange as I am somewhat of a media snob and usually need to be dragged to any movie produced by a major studio.

4. I love rainy days. When one comes along, I grab a beer, lie down on the couch, and partake in item 3 (It's either that or work on the house).

5. I am obsessed with my research on J. L. Silsbee. Some people may already know that I have been researching this architect for some time. What they might not know is that I begin and end the day with some sort of research on him. I also have a file cabinet where I have recreated his project files complete with no less than 350 folders; each filled with info I have collected. Pretty soon, I either need to get a book published or seek professional help.

I guess that wasn’t so bad. Now for my tags. I hope I am not copying anyone when I tag: Bungalow Insanity,Damn You Stickley Bungalow,Our Home Renovation, Fairmount Bungalow, and my "neighbor": Humphrey House,