The Fortnightly of Chicago
Chicago
The Fortnightly of Chicago purchased the Bryan Lathrop House, located at 120 E. Bellevue Place, in 1922, and has since made it a priority to preserve and maintain the property as its operating clubhouse. The House is one of only two buildings identified in the Chicago Historic Resources Survey as having been designed by the nationally significant firm of McKim, Mead, and White, and is one of the city’s finest examples of the Georgian Revival style. Minimal changes occurred when the house was converted from a private residence to a “gathering space” to host private events for the club and its members. In 1998, the club created the Historic Preservation Foundation of the Fortnightly, which allowed for tax deductible, charitable donations to assist with the preservation of the property. Preservation architects and engineers were hired by the Fortnightly to compile two separate Historic Structures Reports, one in 1998 and one in 2009, in which preservation plans were outlined for the house. A three-year capital campaign, which ended in 2013 raised more than $2.5 million for the preservation of the building.