John J. Glessner House

The John J. Glessner House is a residence in Chicago's Prairie Avenue Historic District featuring granite exterior walls arranged in an L-shaped form with minimal ornamentation. A protected interior courtyard facing south serves as a central feature of the architectural design.

The house was designed in 1887 by Henry Hobson Richardson for John Glessner, a successful farm machinery manufacturer who later joined International Harvester. It was built during a period when Chicago was establishing itself as a major industrial center and wealthy business owners built large homes to demonstrate their status.

The house displays original furnishings and decorative objects reflecting the Glessner family's appreciation for English and American arts and crafts movements. You can see how a wealthy household at the end of the 1800s chose and arranged their possessions with care for quality design.

The residence is located on South Prairie Avenue and is accessible through guided tours that explore both the architectural features and the family's history. Visitors should be prepared to navigate a fully furnished interior that illustrates how life unfolded within these walls.

Frances Glessner Lee, who grew up in this house, created detailed miniature crime scene models that revolutionized forensic investigation training. These models are still used in forensic education today, representing an unexpected legacy connected to this home.

Location: Chicago

Inception: 1971

Architects: Henry Hobson Richardson

Architectural style: Richardsonian Romanesque

Website: https://glessnerhouse.org

GPS coordinates: 41.85761,-87.62105

Latest update: December 7, 2025 20:20