JJ Walser House: 2025 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois

Location:

42 N. Central Ave., Chicago, Cook County

Year built:

1903

Architect:

Frank Lloyd Wright

Original owner:

Joseph J. and Grace Walser

Current owner:

Privately owned, estate of Anne Teague

(Photo credit: Paul Morgan)

Historic Significance

Famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Walser House for Joseph Jacob Walser and his wife, Grace. It was built in 1903, just four years after the Austin neighborhood was annexed to the City of Chicago, and is located on a stretch of Central Avenue that is dominated by commercial and multi-family buildings. It represents a significant example of Wright’s Prairie-period work and served as a prototype for several of his subsequent designs. It is also Wright’s only single-family house on Chicago’s West Side.

Hurley and Anne Teague purchased the house in 1970 and served as its stewards for nearly 50 years. Despite decades of economic disinvestment in Austin, the Teague’s stewardship ensured that the home remained standing. Today, the Walser House is an irreplaceable cultural asset for Austin, a Chicago landmark and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

(Photo credit: Paul Morgan)

Current threat

During his lifetime, Hurley Teague, a general contractor, kept the house in good repair. After Hurley’s death in 1997, Anne Teague obtained a reverse mortgage to cover the ongoing maintenance of her home. Anne passed away in 2019, and the interest on the mortgage has become unaffordable for her heirs. The house is now vacant and faces foreclosure, placing it in a stewardship limbo that makes it vulnerable to continued deterioration. Conditions at the house are severe, including holes in the foundation and roof that have exposed the interior to deterioration and water damage. For a time, it was also unsecured from trespassers, leaving the interior littered and in disarray.

(Photo credits: Paul Morgan)

Preservation Solution 

The first step is to resolve ongoing questions of property control resulting from the reverse mortgage. Anne Teague’s heirs would like to see the home continue to be a vital part of Austin’s identity and history. Austin Coming Together (ACT), an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Austin community, envisions the house as part of a revitalized Central Avenue corridor. ACT also listed the house as a community asset in its “Austin Central Avenue Action Plan” released in November 2024 in partnership with Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. As a Frank Lloyd Wright design, a restored Walser House has the potential to draw tourists and Wright enthusiasts from neighboring Oak Park.

(Photo credit: Paul Morgan)

Take Action

Follow the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy’s Walser House webpage for detailed updates and future opportunities to take action.

(Photo credit: Paul Morgan)

Charisse J. Grossley & Johnny Teague

Heirs of Anne Teague

“When my grandparents purchased the Walser home, it represented upwardly mobile Black people establishing legacies for their families and creating a blueprint for home ownership in the Black community. My grandfather was a builder. He made sure he maintained our home as well as our neighbors’ [homes] if they needed assistance, taking pride in how he could serve this community better. This home serves as a tangible link to our past, offering insight into the lives of those who came before us and the events that shaped our community. The preservation of this landmark is essential not only for its historical value to the community but also for its potential to educate future generations.”

(Photo credits: Paul Morgan)