Pleasant Home facts for kids
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John Farson House
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historic view of front elevation of "Pleasant Home", which was built for John Farson.
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| Location | 217 Home Avenue, Oak Park, Cook County, Illinois |
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| Area | 4.7 acres (1.9 ha) |
| Built | 1897 |
| Architect | George W. Maher |
| Architectural style | Prairie style |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000454 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | June 19, 1972 |
| Designated NHL | June 19, 1996 |
Pleasant Home, also known as the John Farson House, is a special old house in Oak Park, Illinois. This town is a suburb of Chicago, United States. It is a large house built in the unique Prairie style.
The famous architect George Washington Maher designed the house. It was finished in 1897. Pleasant Home was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on June 19, 1972. This means it is an important place worth protecting. Later, on June 19, 1996, it was named a National Historic Landmark. This is an even higher honor given by the United States Department of the Interior.
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History of Pleasant Home
Pleasant Home gets its name from where it is located. It sits at the corner of Pleasant Street and Home Avenue in Oak Park. The house was built in 1897 by the well-known Prairie School architect George W. Maher.
The house was built for John Farson. He lived there from 1897 until 1910. In 1910, Herbert S. Mills bought the house. He was the last private owner and lived there until he passed away in 1929. After his wife passed away in 1930, his children owned the home. They sold it to the Park District of Oak Park in 1939.
The Mills Violano-Virtuoso
Herbert S. Mills owned a company called The Mills Novelty Company. This company made a cool invention called the Mills Violano-Virtuoso. It was an electric machine that could play both a violin and a piano by itself!
In 2009, a fully fixed-up Mills Violano was put on display at Pleasant Home. It was installed by the Mills Novelty Company and Haughawout Music Company. You can still see it there today.
The Park and Other Buildings
Pleasant Home was built on a very large piece of land. This land was later turned into a park called Mills Park. There used to be other buildings on the property too. These included a greenhouse for plants and a coach house. The coach house was where horse carriages and horses were kept. Later, it was used for cars. Sadly, the coach house and greenhouse were taken down. They had become too old and damaged because they were not kept up well.
Restoring the House
Work to fix up Pleasant Home started in 1966. The first project was to replace the electrical wiring, which cost about US$26,000. In 1970, more repairs were done, costing over $40,000.
Outside the house, parts like the fascia (the flat board under the roof edge) and soffit (the underside of the roof overhang) were rebuilt. The roof was also fixed. All the wood parts on the outside were repainted. These repairs were done carefully to match the original look of the house.
Why Pleasant Home is Important
Pleasant Home is a very important example of the early Prairie style of architecture. This style is known for its strong horizontal lines and connection to the landscape.
The house is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It was added on June 19, 1972. It is also part of a larger area called the Ridgeland-Oak Park Historic District. This district was added to the National Register in 1983.
On June 19, 1996, Pleasant Home was named a U.S. National Historic Landmark. This means it is one of the most important historic places in the country. Just two days before that, the village of Oak Park also declared the John Farson House an Oak Park Landmark.
The Farson House is one of the first buildings built in the Prairie style. Many people believe it is the best example of architect George W. Maher's work that still exists today.
For many years, the Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest was located on the second floor of Pleasant Home. However, the society moved to the Landmark Firehouse in Oak Park in 2017.
See also
