Historic Prairie Style Flossmoor Home Now on the Market

A rare real estate gem hit the market earlier this month.

The A.H. Hunter estate, 1441 Braeburn Avenue in Flossmoor, was built in 1916–17 by the renowned architects Purcell and Elmslie, known for their commercial buildings in the Prairie School of design. This home is one of only a few single-family residences designed by the firm.

The four-bedroom, 3.1-bathroom home with three-car garage is listed at $875,000.

An example of the Prairie School of architecture, the house has broad gable roofs with wood-and-stucco siding and built-in seating, cabinets, tables and bookcases. The beams used to construct the home are 4 inches by 6 inches rather than the standard 2 inches by 4 inches.

The home is adorned with leaded-glass windows that display a geometric floral motif. Chicago Art Museums have displayed both the home’s windows and blueprints.

In 1989, the current owners made the addition of a “great room” to the home. To ensure the integrity of the Prairie School of Architecture, the architect who restored the Frank Lloyd Wright studio in Oak Park was commissioned to design and oversee the entire project. Handmade exact replicas of the original leaded-glass windows, doors and interior and exterior light fixtures were installed in the addition to match the existing glass panels in the home.

The property, situated on just over an acre, is landscaped with a bridge and natural creek running through it that feeds into Butterfield Creek. The rose gardens and statuary still adorn the home today. Pictures of the home are displayed in several Prairie School books, including “Prairie Metropolis” by Patrick F. Cannon, “Purcell & Elmslie-Prairie Progressive Architects” by David Gebhard and was featured in Chicago Magazine in 2000 as one of “The 30 Most Beautiful Houses in Chicago”.

Click here for more information about the home