Glessner, Clarke museums offer glimpse into city's past
As you wander through the old Glessner and Clarke houses in Chicago, you can almost hear the clicketyclack of horse-drawn carriages rushing along the streets of the city in its earlier days.
Clarke House, built in 1836, is the oldest house in Chicago and possibly the most resilient, having survived two fires and two moves. The house was built in the Greek Revival style, and its simple boxiness reflects the structure of life in Chicago when Indians still roamed the lands and men made a living off trapping.
One side of the house was completed in 1836 and is very utilitarian with big fireplaces and a sitting area where people would gather to eat, talk and tend to daily tasks by the light of an oil lamp. A chair in one corner, with a few quick adjustments, could be used for a rocker or baby cradle, underscoring the need for function during these early years.
The second side of the house was completed in the 1850s and shows a more refined look as Chicago began to grow and more goods were available. The walls and ceilings are painted in vibrant colors - often chosen to mask the stains from gas lights. Rope beds that were hand tightened fill the rooms upstairs. Coal stoves jut into rooms to provide better heat circulation.
Not a lot is known about the Clarke family, and many of the pieces in the house are merely representative of their time. The original pieces have fascinating stories behind them and serve as a testament to the staff's dedication to preserving our past.
Henry Clarke died in 1849 during a cholera epidemic, and Caroline Clarke sold some of the land to support her six children. The Clarke children sold the house in 1872 to John Chrimes, who moved it to Wabash Avenue and 45th Street. The house was then sold to Bishop Louis Henry Ford (of the Bishop Ford tollway), and it became a parish hall and community center. In 1977, the city of Chicago bought the house and moved it over the Red Line el tracks to its resting place today at 1827 S. Indiana Ave.
Glessner House, 1800 S. Prairie Ave., stands in strong contrast to Clarke House. Its ornate internal architecture speaks to the difference between a house built in 1836 by a family in what was then the wilds of Chicago and one built in 1887 by a famous architect (H.H. Richardson, who designed Marshall Field's) and owned by a family of means.
The granite exterior of the house is stark compared with other mansions on the block. It almost looks as if you're entering a small warehouse; yet the symmetry and simplicity hide an elaborate interior with intricate woodwork that was crammed with sophisticated works of art befitting the Glessners' station in society.
John Glessner was a "captain of industry." His wife, Frances, filled her days throwing elaborate dinner parties, hosting a ladies' reading club and managing a staff of eight servants.
Nearly all the furnishings and art are original to the family. It's hard to absorb it all, as the decorating style during the day was over the top, to say the least. Pictures almost hang on top of each other, and rooms are so crammed with furniture it's easy to overlook works of art, such as the genuine mask of Abraham Lincoln's hands and face made in 1860 shortly before he became president.
Fireplaces are adorned with colorful artistic tiles. The parlor contains a Steinway grand piano that Frances often played, intimate seating areas and a silver Roman oil lamp.
The kitchen is massive, even by today's standards. A narrow hallway runs along the side of the house that borders 18th Street. .
You can tour both the Glessner and Clarke houses together or separately with docents who provide the inside scoop on the families, the homes and the artifacts.
While you're there
Things to see
Second Presbyterian Church, 1936 S. Michigan Ave.: One of Chicago's oldest churches has a stunning array of stained-glass windows by Louis Comfort Tiffany and murals by Frederic Clay Bartlett. Public tours are at 11 a.m. and noon the first and third Saturday of the month for $5 (though we just rang the doorbell and they let us in on a snowy Saturday afternoon) and free tours are at 12:15 p.m. every Sunday after services. I'd suggest you pick a sunny day to get the full effect of the amazing glasswork. Info at 2ndpresbyterianfriends.org.
Prairie Avenue Historic District: There are 27 historical sites bordered by 16th Street, south Calumet Avenue, east Cermak Road and South Michigan Avenue. You can pick up a map at Glessner House that contains a 11/2- mile route past 19th-century mansions owned by the likes of Joseph Coleman, George Pullman, William Kimball and Marshall Field. The site of the Fort Dearborn Massacre in 1812 is marked by a statue on the corner of Prairie Avenue and 18th Street.
Places to eat
Kroll's South Loop, 1736 S. Michigan Ave.: A neighborhood bar and grill with an excellent menu (and beer selection) varying from burgers, salads, pizza and dinners. Great place to take a guy to catch the game on TVs throughout the place after he's endured a couple of hours touring old houses. More info: krolls-chicago.com.
La Catina Grill, 1911 S. Michigan Ave.: Traditional Mexican food with great fruity margaritas in a rustic setting. More info: lacatinagrill.com.