Historical Architectural Impact Study of 735 Sheridan Road in Winentka

HISTORICAL AND ARCHITECTURAL IMPACT STUDY
Submitted to the Village of Winnetka on December 14, 2017
T HE F RANK O. M AGIE H OUSE

at
735 S HERIDAN R OAD
W INNETKA , I LLINOIS
HAIS prepared by: Jean L. Guarino, Ph.D.

Architectural Historian
844 Home Avenue
Oak Park, IL 60304
708.386.1142
guarinojl@gmail.com
Synopsis
of
Findings of Significance
The Frank O. Magie House possesses local architectural significance as the former residence of John S.
Gleason Jr., a leading candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor of Illinois in 1960, who was
appointed director of the Veterans Administration by President John F. Kennedy in 1961, serving until
1965. The house possesses statewide architectural significance as a work by architect Joseph C. Llewellyn, a
prominent Chicago architect who specialized in school design, especially high schools. Llewellyn’s
importance was recognized during his lifetime, and examples of his work were published in architectural
journals such as Architectural Record, Western Architect, Architectural Review and the Chicago Architecture Club
Annual. The house also possesses local architectural significance within the Village of Winnetka as
noteworthy example of an architectural style. The 1904 residence stands as an excellent and well-preserved
example of the Colonial Revival style with a monumental temple front featuring two-story fluted Ionic
columns and pediment.
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Historic and Architectural Impact Study for the Frank O. Magie House at 735 Sheridan Road, Winnetka
Prepared by Jean L. Guarino, Ph.D., Architectural Historian
Submitted December 14, 2017 2
Ownership History
of the
735 Sheridan Road Parcel
The following chain of ownership information for the 735 Sheridan Road parcel was obtained from Cook
County Tract Book no. 247A, pp. 253-244, 256.
Property Owner Name Period of Ownership

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Ogden Magie June 12, 1902 to December 6, 1919
William A. Magie Trust December 6, 1919 to October 17, 1923
Mr. and Mrs. Henry H. Kennedy October 17, 1923 to May 19, 1927
Chester F. Sargent May 19, 1927 to April 14, 1952
John S. Gleason Jr. April 14, 1952 to October 25, 1974
Richard and Joan Rusnack October 25, 1974 until 1986
Robert Kollar 1986 until 1993
Len and Gaye Wislow 1993 until the present
Frank Ogden Magie
Frank Ogden Magie (1863-1919), the original owner of the house at 735 Sheridan Road, was born in
Milwaukee and entered the oil business at a young age. In 1894 he married Florence Quick, a descendent of
New York City native Henry Quick, who in the 1850s was one of the early settlers of River Forest, Illinois.
In 1856, John Henry Quick, the son of Henry Quick, divided his father’s extensive River Forest land
holdings into blocks and named the streets, including one for himself. Frank and Florence Magie had five
children together: three sons (Frank Jr., John and William) and two daughters. They resided in a house at
corner of John and Quick avenues in River Forest prior to moving to Winnetka, where they built an
impressive Colonial Revival style house at 735 Sheridan Road, situated on a bluff overlooking Lake
Michigan. At the time of Frank Magie’s death at the age of 56, the couple also maintained a city house on
Astor Street in Chicago. A short obituary, published in the October 27, 1919 issue of Oil Paint and Drug
Reporter, noted that he was vice-president and treasurer of Magie Brothers, Chicago oil merchants, at the
time of his death. It also reported that Magie “was well known by oil men in various parts of the country.”1
1
“Weddings and Engagements,” Chicago Tribune (Dec. 30, 1894); “Frank O. Magie, Dealer in Oils, Dies, Aged 56,”
Chicago Tribune (October 17, 1919); Oil Paint and Drug Reporter (October 27, 1919) p 28.
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Undated photos of the house at 735 Sheridan as it appeared during ownership by the Magie family.
Source of photos: Joseph C. Llewellyn & Associates Records on file at the Ryerson & Burnham Libraries,
Art Institute of Chicago. Accession No. 1992.5. Box 55.24.
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Henry H. Kennedy
Henry H. Kennedy (1861-1925) was born in Washington County, Iowa. He graduated from Iowa College
of Grinnell, Iowa, in 1883 and then studied law at Michigan State University at Ann Arbor, graduating in
1885. Kennedy subsequently moved to Chicago and worked until 1890 as a clerk in the law office of Moses
& Newman. By 1899, Kennedy had become a member of the law firm of Moses, Pam & Kennedy, which
later became Moses, Rosenthal & Kennedy. Kennedy married Minnie G. Perkins of Grinnell, Iowa in 1892
and the couple had one child named Herbert Kennedy. The elder Kennedy belonged to the Union League
Club.2
Chester F. Sargent
Chester F. Sargent (1887-1980) and his wife resided in the house at 735 Sheridan Road for a quarter century
(1927-52). The couple had two daughters. Peggy Sargent married Lieutenant Chapin Litten of Lake Bluff in
1944 while he was on a thirty-day leave after serving for three years in the South Pacific during World War
II. An engineer, Chester Sargent became a senior partner in Sargent & Lundy, a worldwide engineering firm
founded in 1893 by his father, Frederick. The Sargent & Lundy Company website provides this description
of the company origins:
“Sargent & Lundy shares its history with that of the electric power industry itself. The industry was just emerging
when engineers Frederick Sargent and Ayres Lundy formed an independent engineering and consulting company in
1891, dedicated to working with clients in the electric power business. Individually, they had earned recognition for
their technical talent and foresight. Sargent was one of Thomas Edison’s most capable ea rly associates, while Lundy
was a highly regarded colleague of electric railway innovator Frank Sprague. Together they collaborated on power
generation and transmission projects that advanced the industry and set the company’s course.
“The firm’s first project was the Harrison Street Station in 1892, which received worldwide attention for its power
generation and transmission innovations. It was the largest plant in the United States. This project was the first of
many bold explorations of diverse technologies that have helped Sargent & Lundy clients succeed through each era of
power industry change.” 3
Chester Sargent retired from Sargent & Lundy in 1952, a time when the company began to focus on
nuclear power with a design for the world’s first boiling water reactor installation at Argonne
National Laboratory and the conversion of the Arco Borax III research reactor to an electricity
producer.4
John S. Gleason Jr.
John S. Gleason Jr. (1915-1993) was born in Chicago. He graduated from Notre Dame University and
Harvard University’s graduate school of business before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1940. He served in the
South Pacific during World War II and attained the rank of major, as well as being awarded the Silver Star,
2
John M. Palmer (Ed.), The Bench and Bar of Illinois (Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1899); “Miss
Joseph Sidley and Herbert Kennedy to Be Married June 21,” Chicago Tribune (April 24, 1924); “Henry H. Kennedy, Long a
Lawyer Here, Is Dead,” Chicago Tribune (September 13, 1925).
3
Sargent & Lundy company website: http://www.sargentlundy.com/about/company-history/
4
Judith Cass, “Peggy Sargent Will Become Bridge of Lt. Litten Saturday,” Chicago Tribune (Dec. 5, 1944); “Chester
F. Sargent,” Chicago Tribune (Nov. 6, 1980).
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Bronze Star and Legion of Merit. The decorated World War II veteran was long active in Chicago banking
business, civic and veterans affairs, and Democratic politics. After the war, Gleason became active in the
Army Reserve and was commander of the reserve’s 85th Division before retiring in 1973 as a major general.
He served as national commander of the American Legion from 1957 to 1958.
Gleason was a leading candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor of Illinois in 1960. The
following year he was appointed director of the Veterans Administration by President John F. Kennedy. At
46, he was the youngest man to hold the post. He left in 1965 and returned to First National Bank of
Chicago, where he had worked since his college graduation. Gleason became the bank’s vice president of
business development. He moved to the Mercantile Bank in 1970 and was the bank’s chairman and chief
executive officer until 1976. In 1977, he pleaded guilty to three charges of bank fraud and served 18 months
of a three-year prison sentence. After his release from prison, Gleason became a deacon in the Catholic
Church. Gleason and his wife Mary Jane had six sons—John S., “Jack” III, Daniel, Richard, Thomas, David
and Martin.5
Richard and Joan Rusnack
Richard and Joan Rusnack lived in the house at 735 Sheridan Road for several years in the 1970s. Rusnack
was a former Vice-Chairman of the Board of the Hickory Farms of Ohio stores. A veteran of the Korean
War, he and his wife retired to Sister Bay, Wisconsin in 1993.
Robert and Mary Ann Kollar
No information was found on these property owners.
Len and Gaye Wislow
Len Wislow is the retired former CEO of the BECO Group, a professional staffing firm that he ran with his
late father, Alexander, and sold in 2013. He also owned Sierra Systems, a technology and business
consulting firm, until 2014. The Wislows added the house’s pool complex in 1999 and the rear family room
in 2004.6
5
Laurence Burd, “Kennedy Picks Chicagoan to be Head of VA,” Chicago Tribune (Jan. 14, 1961); “Gleason Long
Active in Civic, Business Role,” Chicago Tribune (Jan. 14, 1961); “Named Mercantile Chief,” Chicago Tribune (Jan. 21,
1970); Lee Strobel, “Gleason, ex-bank chief, gets 3 years in fraud,” Chicago Tribune (Aug. 16, 1977); Louise Kiernan, “Ex-
VA chief, city banker John S. Gleason Jr., 78,” Chicago Tribune (April 5, 1993).
6
Dennis Rodkin, “Lakefront Winnetka mansion priced at $15.9 million,” Crain’s Chicago Business (August 4, 2016).
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Narrative Description
of the
Frank O. Magie House
P.I.N.: 05-17-411-005
Legal Description for 735 Sheridan Road: Lot 1 in Wislow Consolidation in the Southwest Quarter of
Section 16, Township 42 North, Range 13, East of the Third Principal Meridian in the Village of Winnetka,
commonly known as 735 Sheridan Road, Winnetka, Illinois.
Construction Date: 19047
Building permits for the Frank Ogden Magie House are listed in the table below.
Permit Date Owner Action Architect

3-28-1903 Frank O. Magie Sewer connection Joseph C. Llewellyn,
Chicago
6-27-1977 Mr. & Mrs. Interior alterations Unknown
Richard Rusnack
3-10-1986 Robert Kollar Alter door opening (kitchen to den) Alan Johnson
6-3-1999 Len Wislow Pool, pool deck and pool houses Kirk + Partners,
Arlington Heights
3-4-2004 Len Wislow Room addition to residence Rugo/Raff, Ltd. Chicago
7
The Village of Winnetka does not have a construction date on file for the house at 735 Sheridan Road. The 1904
construction date is assumed as the property was purchased by Frank O. Magie on June 12, 1902, a sewer connection was
obtained in March 1903, and a photograph of the completed house was published in the June 1905 issue of The Inland
Architect and News Record, Vol. 45, No. 6.
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House Description:
The Colonial Revival style Frank O. Magie House at 735 Sheridan Road in Winnetka is situated on a block
bounded by Maple Street Park to the south and Lloyd Park to the north. It sits upon a 2.09-acre parcel on a
bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. The property measures 162 feet in length and approximately 547 feet in
depth from the west lot line to the water’s edge.8 The house is set back approximately 200 feet from
Sheridan Road and features a large front lawn. It is visible from the street through an open, wrought iron
fence that features a pair of decorative iron gates on either end, each of which is flanked by brick posts.
Both gateways open onto a long U-shaped brick-paved driveway that extends to the front of the house. A
two-story coach house is situated at the northwest corner of the property, adjacent to the north gates and
north leg of the U-shaped driveway. The coach house is fronted by a courtyard that is enclosed by a brick
wall with concrete coping.
8
Measurements were obtained from a plat of survey created by B.H. Suhr & Company, Evanston, dated January 8,
2004.
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The house has an expansive rear lawn, the east boundary of which is defined by a stone balustrade. The
north edge of the property, adjacent to and behind the house, has a bluestone walkway that leads to a steep
flight of concrete stairs that descends to the beach. The terraced rear portion of the property features a
pool and two pool houses built in 1999.
The Magie House has red brick walls, faces west, and has a
long, rectangular footprint that measures approximately 75
feet in length and 36 feet in width. It is comprised of a three-
story main block and flanking one-story wings topped by
decorative wood balustrades. It has a side-gambrel roof
covered with terra cotta tiles and five brick chimneys. Both the
front and rear elevations feature pedimented gable dormers
detailed with dentil molding. Windows on the main block are
typically arranged alone and fenestration is primarily
comprised of six-over-one wood-sash windows with stone
sills, jack arch lintels, and keystones. The main block is
detailed with brick corner quoins. A wood frieze band with
dentil molding and a wood cornice with modillions wrap
around all elevations of the main block and its wings.
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The symmetrical front façade features a two-story temple-front porch set upon a brick-faced podium with
bluestone flooring. The porch has four fluted Ionic columns, a Classical entablature, and a pediment
detailed with a fanlight and a modillioned cornice. The centrally-located wood paneled front door has a
fanlight, is flanked by slender Ionic colonettes and sidelights, and retains its original decorative brass knob
and mail slot.
On either side of the door is a pair of one-over-one wood-sash windows with panes bordered by leaded
glass.
Above the entrance is a group of three windows that are visually unified with an oval motif pattern, which is
echoed by oval-shaped casement windows on either side. A decorative metal balconette with the same oval
motif pattern is situated in front of this window group.
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The first and second floors of this elevation also include four six-over-one wood-sash windows
symmetrically arranged one above the other as well as four gabled dormers, each with a single six-over-one
window.
A one-story, flat-roofed, oval-shaped “lake view room,” built in 2004, projects from the center of the rear
(east) elevation and is sympathetic to the historic appearance of the house. It has a modillioned wood
cornice, is surrounded by multi-paned double-hung and fixed windows, and its corners feature pairs of
Classically-styled pilasters. The rear elevation of the original house block has two large multi-paned picture
windows on the first floor that flank the lake view room addition. The second floor has a centrally-located
bay window and three six-over-one wood-sash windows. The third floor has a gambrel wall dormer with
Palladian window; two gabled dormers, each with a single six-over-one window; and two oval-shaped
dormers.
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The north elevation has a combination of tall casement windows with transoms and six-over-one wood-sash
windows on its first floor wing. It has four wood-sash windows on the second floor and a fanlight on the
third floor.
The south elevation’s sun porch wing has a central entrance flanked by slender Ionic colonettes and is
surrounded by tall casement with transoms. It has four six-over-one wood-sash windows on the second
floor and a Palladian window on the third floor.
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The interior plan of the Frank O. Magie House
is arranged around a formal, centrally-located
entrance hall featuring paneled wainscoting and
a grand reverse-flight staircase with delicate
turned balusters painted white. The stair landing
at the mezzanine level is illuminated by a group
of three tall windows.
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The first floor has a large living room and sun porch to the south of the entrance hall. A formal dining
room, family room, and kitchen/breakfast room are situated to the north of the entrance hall, which opens
directly onto the “lake view room” to the east and has a staircase to the basement. A half-bathroom is
adjacent to the front door vestibule and a secondary staircase that extends from the basement to the third
floor is accessed from the family room. It has straight oak balusters and squared newel posts. The dining
room and family room share a pass-through fireplace with Classically-styled wood mantels and hearths faced
with marble.
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The second floor has four bedrooms and three full bathrooms. One of the bedrooms has a tall built-in
cabinet with drawers and shelves. The master bedroom has a fireplace with a Classically-styled wood mantel
and hearth faced with marble, shown below.
The third floor has three bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a large recreation room, a sitting room, and a large
linen closet with built-in drawers and shelves.
Interior Materials
The Frank O. Magie House features plaster walls and ceilings. Rooms throughout the house have
baseboard molding, crown molding, and door casings painted white. The entrance hall has beige marble
flooring while other formal spaces on the first floor have wood flooring. Bathrooms throughout the house
have ceramic tile flooring, except for the second floor master bathroom, which has beige marble flooring.
The front door vestibule has mosaic tile flooring.
Upper floor hallways have wood flooring. Bedrooms have either wood flooring or wall-to-wall carpet.
Original wood paneled doors are extant throughout the second and third floors of the house and feature
their original brass knobs and hardware.
Architectural Integrity
Overall, this house has excellent architectural integrity and its front and side elevations are virtually
unchanged from their original appearance. Historic photos show that the one-story wings originally existed
as originally open porches and were enclosed with windows. An original wood balustrade at the roofline
was removed at an unknown date. In 2004, the “lake view room” was added to the rear elevation. Inside,
the kitchen has been updated with modern cabinets, counters and appliances and some third floor bedroom
spaces have been reconfigured, most notably in the creation of the large recreation room. The large second
floor master bathroom is non-original and was likely created from space formerly used as a bedroom or
nursery.
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Coach House Description
The two-story Colonial Revival style coach house is sympathetic in appearance to the main house. It has
red brick walls, a rectangular footprint that measures approximately 49 feet in length and 25 feet in width,
and a cross-gambrel roof covered with terra cotta tiles. It is accessed through a door on the east elevation,
which also features two overhead wood-paneled doors. Fenestration is mainly comprised of original six-
over-one windows arranged alone or in groups.
The first floor consists of a two-car garage with concrete flooring. The second floor living space is accessed
via a wood staircase and consists of a kitchen, living room, bedroom and a full bathroom. Walls and ceilings
are plaster and the flooring is wood.
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Neighborhood Character
The Frank O. Magie House at 735 Sheridan Road is located on the east side of this thoroughfare, on a bluff
overlooking Lake Michigan. The character of the east side of Sheridan Road is very different from that of
the west side. On the west side, houses typically face the street and display similar setbacks. In contrast, the
parcels on the east side are considerably deeper, stretching from Sheridan Road to the lakefront. Many of
them have been subdivided over the years to accommodate houses facing both the lake and the street. The
houses facing the lake are typically not visible from Sheridan Road as they are situated far back from the
roadway and accessed via long, private driveways.
The entire stretch of Sheridan Road between Lloyd and Maple Street Parks was developed in a haphazard
manner and lacks any unifying elements that link the houses to one another. The homes face different
directions and are disconnected from one another. Most homes are free-standing and do not relate to the
adjacent properties, except perhaps for those immediately along the same private lane that allows for access
from Sheridan Road. There is no uniform character of size, height, roofline, or materials found.
Architectural styles and dates of construction vary considerably among the 15 houses strung out along this
stretch of Sheridan Road due to redevelopment over the past twenty years. Built in 1904, the Magie House
is the oldest of the group. Of the other fourteen houses, only five were constructed prior to 1960. These
include the houses at 711 Sheridan (1926), 730 and 740 Sheridan (both 1939), 773 Sheridan (1949) and 695
Sheridan (1956). Three of these historic houses were designed in the Colonial Revival style, although they
feature differing materials and divergent versions of that style. The house at 773 Sheridan has stone walls
and appears to have the form of a Ranch style house, although its appearance is difficult to ascertain as the
house is set back and obscured by extensive foliage. The style of the house at 740 Sheridan is unknown as it
is set far back upon its lot and not visible from the street. The other eight houses on this stretch of
Sheridan Road were built in the year 2000 or later. Most feature different versions of historical revival
styles, including Neo-Colonial Revival, Neo-Italian Renaissance and Neo-French Renaissance.
The Colonial Revival style Magie House at 735 Sheridan Road has served as a prominent edifice on Sheridan
Road in Winnetka for over a century, due to its imposing massing, three-story height, and stately temple
front. Built in 1904, it is the third oldest house along this winding thoroughfare, according to Winnetka
Historical Society’s ongoing village-wide architectural survey. The Magie House today stands a rare early
twentieth-century mansion on Sheridan Road, which has experienced extensive redevelopment along its
entire length in Winnetka, and especially along the stretch between Lloyd and Maple Street Parks. Though
set back about 200 feet, it is strongly oriented to, easily seen from, the street by passing motorists and
pedestrians. Unlike many historic Sheridan Road mansions, the Magie House retains its overall setting that
includes a coach house, entrances with brick entrance posts and decorative iron gates, and U-shaped
driveway.
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Architect Joseph C. Llewellyn
The Frank O. Magie House was designed by Joseph C. Llewellyn (1855-1932), a prominent Chicago
architect who specialized in school design, especially high schools. Llewellyn was born and initially educated
in Philadelphia, where he lived until enrolling at the University of Illinois to study architecture. After
graduating in 1877, he remained at the school to teach for two years. From c.1879-1885 Llewellyn was the
superintendent of the Lindell Street Railway in Saint Louis.
Llewellyn married his former classmate, Emma C. Piatt, in 1883 in Monticello, Piatt County, Illinois.
Emma’s pioneer connections proved to be advantageous for Llewellyn, as he was later commissioned for
three high schools within Piatt County (named for the same Piatt family that Llewellyn married into),
located just 30 miles west of the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. The young couple moved to
Emma Piatt’s hometown, Monticello, in November 1886 and eventually had four children: Ralph, Clarinne,
Ruth and Vida. In late 1890, the family relocated to Warrensburg, Missouri as Llewellyn gained employment
as Secretary of a quarry company. In late 1892 or 1893 Llewellyn moved to LaGrange, Illinois with his
family and resided in that suburb for the rest of his life. Llewellyn also established an independent
architectural practice in Chicago in 1893, the same year in which the city hosted the World’s Columbian
Exposition in Jackson Park. The July 1905 issue of Construction News contained some insight into that
early period of Llewellyn’s career, stating that he had come to
Chicago a stranger, at the beginning of a panic and a long period of depression. Without friends of
acquaintances he began the work of developing an architectural practice. It was at a time when
building operations were limited, and as a consequence, he sought work out of town and as a result
many of his commissions of an important character are in other cities.9
In 1897, Llewellyn obtained one of the first hundred architectural licenses issued when the State of Illinois
began regulating the profession in that year. Llewellyn worked independently until 1907, when he and his
son, Ralph, established the Jos. C. Llewellyn Company.10
A review of the finding aid for the J.C. Llewellyn & Associates Papers, on file at the Ryerson and Burnham
Libraries, Art Institute of Chicago, reveals that much of Llewellyn’s early work in the 1890s focused on
residential design, with projects for houses and apartment buildings located throughout the Chicago
metropolitan region.
Starting in the early 1900s, Llewellyn increasingly obtained commissions in other Midwestern states, notably
in Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin. His work also began to focus on industrial buildings, including large
factories and complexes for clients such as the Cracker Jack Company, Advanced Rumely Thresher
Company, and the N.K. Fairbanks Company. One of his more prominent projects was the design of a large
industrial housing development in Hammond, Indiana for the Standard Steel Car Company.
Both individually and with his firm, Llewellyn also received commissions that included banks, hotels and
school buildings. He designed approximately 50 schools in the early twentieth-century, of which 28 were
9
“Joseph C. Llewellyn, Construction News 20, No. 3 (1905).
10
Henry F. Withey and Elsie Rathburn Withey, Biographical Dictionary of American Architects (Deceased) (Los
Angeles, 1970) 376-377.
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high schools and 19 of those were located in Illinois.11 His school projects included designs for a high
school in LaCrosse Wisconsin; high school and junior high school buildings in Beloit, Wisconsin; high
schools in Evansville, Indiana and Aurora Illinois; Deerfield Township High School in Highland Park (1914,
razed); and an addition to Winnetka’s Horace Mann School (1924).
In 1919, Llewellyn was elevated to the prestigious Fellow status of the American Institute of Architects.
Llewellyn’s work was well regarded among the architectural profession and was regularly reviewed in
architectural journals, such as Architectural Record, Western Architect, Architectural Review and the Chicago
Architecture Club Annual. The June 1905 issue of Inland Architect and News-Record (Vol. 45, No. 6) included a
photograph of the recently completed Frank O. Magie House, shown below.
In 1897, Llewellyn was elected as treasurer of the Chicago Architectural Club, an influential organization
that was established in 1885. This marked the start of his service as a key figure in the architectural
profession. Llewellyn was elected President of the Chicago Architectural Club for two one-year terms
starting in 1898 and again from 1900 to 1901. The “Calendar” for the Club during this period included
speakers such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Lorado Taft, and Louis Sullivan. 12
Llewellyn was also influential in the establishment of the Architectural League of America, the first league of
its kind to promote architecture clubs nationwide. The goals of the League were twofold. The first part of
the League’s goal was to form a national association composed of architectural clubs based in large cities,
such as New York and Chicago, and secondly, to act as a national forum for the exchange of architectural
exhibition work, design ideas and concepts. Their aim was to formulate competition regulations for annual
exhibitions, made of submissions by league members. Llewellyn was appointed chairman of the League’s
11
Mary E. Ottoson, “The Revival of a Master Architect: Joseph C. Llewellyn,” Master’s Thesis submitted to The School
of the Art Institute of Chicago, 2009, p. 14.
12
Wilbert Hasbrouck, The Chicago Architectural Club: A Prelude to the Modern (New York: Monacelli Press, 2005)
237.
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first national convention, held in Cleveland, Ohio, in June 1899. He was elected President of the League
during its second annual convention the following year, which was hosted by the Chicago Architectural
Club. By the end of that convention, “Control of the league’s affairs was firmly in the hands of Chicagoans,
most of whom were proponents of the emerging modern movement.”13 Llewellyn was elected as President
of the League for a second consecutive term in 1901 and was also actively involved with the Chicago
Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
After Joseph C. Llewellyn's death in 1932, his son Ralph continued the firm under the same name. The firm
was active through the 1970s, when it was merged with the firm Gordon W. Warren and Associates.
A good overview of Joseph C. Llewellyn’s career can be found in a Master’s Thesis authored by Mary E.
Ottoson, titled, “The Revival of a Master Architect: Joseph C. Llewellyn,” submitted to The School of the
Art Institute of Chicago in 2009. A bound copy can be found in the SAIC’s Flaxman Library. The papers of
Llewellyn’s architecture firm, J.C. Llewellyn & Associates, are on file at the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries,
The Art Institute of Chicago, Accession Number 1992.5. This collection includes 61 boxes, four portfolios,
five oversize portfolios, and flat file materials. The collection is organized in the following manner:
Series I: Project Files

Series 2: Professional Papers
Series 3: Photographs and Slides
Series 4: Negatives
Series 5: Small Collection of Prints and Drawings
In addition, the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries’ Digital Archive includes 103 photographs of buildings
designed by Joseph C. Llewellyn or his firm which can be viewed online: http://digital-
libraries.saic.edu/cdm/search/collection/mqc/searchterm/Llewellyn,%20J.C.,%20and%20Associates%20
Records,%201894-1985%20%20bulk%201920-1960%20/field/subcol/mode/all/conn/and/cosuppress/1
13
Ibid, 271.
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Landmark Status
of the
Property
The Frank O. Magie House is not a locally designated landmark or in a locally designated historic district. It
is not listed individually on the National Register of Historic Places or in a National Register Historic
District.
Evaluation of Historic Significance

Frank O. Magie and other owners of this house were researched through a variety of sources, including the
Chicago History Museum’s online catalog and the Chicago Tribune’s online archive. It was determined that
the house possesses local architectural significance as the residence of John S. Gleason Jr., a leading
candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor of Illinois in 1960, who was appointed director of
the Veterans Administration by President John F. Kennedy in 1961, serving until 1965. At 46, he was the
youngest man to hold the post. No information was found relating the house to an historic event.
Evaluation of Architectural Significance

The Frank O. Ogden House possesses statewide architectural significance as a work by architect Joseph C.
Llewellyn, a prominent Chicago architect who designed specialized in school design, especially high schools.
Llewellyn enjoyed a successful career both in independent practice and as part of the firm he established
with his son starting in 1907, designing residential, industrial, commercial and educational buildings
throughout the Chicago metropolitan region. He designed approximately fifty schools in the early
twentieth-century, of which nineteen were located in Illinois. Llewellyn’s importance was recognized during
his lifetime, and examples of his work were published in architectural journals such as Architectural Record,
Western Architect, Architectural Review and the Chicago Architecture Club Annual.
The Frank O. Magie House also possesses local architectural significance within the Village of Winnetka as
noteworthy example of an architectural style. The 1904 residence stands as an excellent high-style example
of the Colonial Revival style, which was based on 17th and 18th century English and Dutch houses of the
Atlantic seaboard. The Georgian and Adam styles formed the basis of the Revival, with secondary
influences from Postmedieval English or Dutch Colonial prototypes. The Colonial Revival was fashionable
as a residential style nationwide from the late nineteenth-century through the first half of the twentieth-
century, reflecting the prevailing trend toward historicism, as architects looked nostalgically to the past for
inspiration.
The terms “Colonial Revival” and “Georgian Revival” both describe houses that have similar architectural
hallmarks, such as the use of symmetry; hipped, gable or gambrel roofs; and Classical detailing that may
include the use of an accentuated front door with fanlights/pediments, corner quoins, pilasters, and
Classically-styled dormers. In Virginia and Lee McAlester’s book titled, A Field Guide to American Houses
(New York: Alfred A. Knoph, 1994), the two styles are differentiated by their time period. The authors
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identify the Georgian style as one used during the American Colonial period from 1600 to 1820, whereas the
Colonial Revival was a style based on the earlier Georgian style that was popularized from about 1880 to
1940. Some architectural historians, such as Marcus Whiffen in his book, American Architecture Since 1780: A
Guide to the Styles (The IT Press, 1988) eschew the use of the Colonial Revival label in favor of the term
Georgian Revival to describe houses built in the late nineteenth- and early twentieth centuries that were
inspired by American Colonial examples. As the McAlester book is widely viewed as an authoritative guide
to American house styles, the term Colonial Revival, rather than Georgian Revival, is used to describe the
Magie House on Sheridan Road.
The Colonial Revival is an exceedingly common style in Winnetka, and was used for dozens of houses built
from the 1920s through the 1940s in particular. The most common type of Colonial Revival house in
Winnetka is clad in brick or wood, has a rectangular footprint, a symmetrical front façade with centrally
located door, windows with double-hung sashes and multi-pane glazing, and a side-gabled or hipped roof,
sometimes with dormers. High style examples may feature doors with fanlights and/or sidelights, porches
with balustrades, Palladian windows, modillioned cornices, and pedimented dormers. (See Attachment E
for examples of Colonial Revival style houses in Winnetka.)
The Frank O. Magie House is a large-scale and well-preserved example of a Colonial Revival style house in
Winnetka that is modeled after the more formal Georgian Revival houses built along the eastern seaboard in
the eighteenth century. The home displays many of the style’s most characteristic features, such as
symmetrical massing, centrally located front door with fanlight and sidelights, gambrel roof, multi-paned
double-hung windows detailed with keystones, brick corner quoins, pedimented gable dormers, gambrel wall
dormer, exterior chimneys, frieze band and modillioned cornice, Palladian windows, and most distinctive, a
monumental temple front porch with two-story fluted Ionic columns. Also typical of the Colonial Revival,
it features a formal center hall plan with grand entrance foyer, elegant reverse-flight staircase, marble
flooring and wood wainscoting. The home also displays high quality materials and craftsmanship, which
includes five fireplaces with Classically-styled wood mantels and hearths faced with marble.
Evaluation of Neighborhood Impact

The demolition of the Magie House at 735 Sheridan House, built in 1904, would have a negative impact on
neighborhood character as it would remove the third oldest house along this historic thoroughfare. The
Colonial Revival style mansion has served as a prominent edifice on Sheridan Road in Winnetka for over a
century, due to its imposing massing, three-story height, and stately temple front. The Magie House today
stands a rare extant early twentieth-century mansion on Sheridan Road, which has experienced extensive
redevelopment along its entire length in Winnetka, and especially along the stretch between Lloyd and
Maple Street Parks. Though set back about 200 feet, it is strongly oriented to, easily seen from, the street by
passing motorists and pedestrians. Unlike many historic Sheridan Road mansions, the Magie House retains
its overall historic setting that includes a coach house, entrances with brick entrance posts and decorative
iron gates, and U-shaped driveway.
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____________________________________________________________________________________________
Person Responsible
for
Performing the Study
Jean L. Guarino, Ph.D., has worked as an independent architectural historian since 1998, documenting
hundreds of buildings through local and national landmark nominations, architectural survey work, and
Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) projects. All projects involve conducting site inspections and
intensive research to develop physical descriptions of, and historical context essays for, historic
buildings/sites. Clients include architectural firms, non-profit organizations, developers and municipalities,
including the City of Chicago. Ms. Guarino currently teaches in The School of the Art Institute’s Art
History Department and previously taught for five years in the SAIC’s Historic Preservation Program. She
is the co-author of a book titled, Benjamin H. Marshall, Chicago Architect (Acanthus Press, 2016), and a
contributor to a forthcoming book titled, Art Deco Chicago.
Bibliography
Benjamin, Susan. Winnetka Architecture: Where Past is Present, A Guide to the Timeless Styles. Winnetka, Illinois: Meridian
Printing, 1990.
Burd, Laurence, “Kennedy Picks Chicagoan to be Head of VA,” Chicago Tribune, Jan. 14, 1961.
Cass, Judith, “Peggy Sargent Will Become Bridge of Lt. Litten Saturday,” Chicago Tribune Dec. 5, 1944.
“Chester F. Sargent,” Chicago Tribune, Nov. 6, 1980.
Chicago Landmarks Commission, Chicago Historic Resources Survey, 1996.
Cook County Recorder of Deeds. Tract Book No. 247A, pp.
“Gleason Long Active in Civic, Business Role,” Chicago Tribune, Jan. 14, 1961.
Hasbrouck, Wilbert. The Chicago Architectural Club: A Prelude to the Modern. New York: Monacelli Press, 2005.
Inland Architect and News Record, Vol. 45, No. 6.
Kiernan, Louise, “Ex-VA chief, city banker John S. Gleason Jr., 78,” Chicago Tribune, April 5, 1993.
Marquis, A.N. Who’s Who in Chicago. Chicago: A.N. Marquis Company, varying years.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
“Named Mercantile Chief,” Chicago Tribune, Jan. 21, 1970.
Oil Paint and Drug Reporter, October 27, 1919, p. 28. (Frank O. Magie obituary)
Ottoson, Mary E., “The Revival of a Master Architect: Joseph C. Llewellyn,” Master’s Thesis submitted to The School
of the Art Institute of Chicago 2009.
“Quick-Magie Wedding,” Chicago Tribune, Dec. 30, 1894.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Company Map for Winnetka. New York: Sanborn Fire Insurance Company, 1938.
Sinkevitch, Alice (ed.). AIA Guide to Chicago, 2nd Edition. Harcourt, Inc., 2004.
Strobel, Lee, “Gleason, ex-bank chief, gets 3 years in fraud,” Chicago Tribune, Aug. 16, 1977.
Winnetka Historical Society, Architectural Survey of the Village of Winnetka, 2010 to present.
Winnetka phone directories, varying years.
Withey, Henry F. and Elsie Rathburn Withey, Biographical Dictionary of American Architects (Deceased). Los Angeles, 1970.
Websites
http://www.sargentlundy.com/about/company-history/
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List of Attachments
Attachment A: Exterior views, 2017
Attachment B: Interior views, 2017
Attachment C: Neighborhood Character Table
Attachment D: Photos of houses in the vicinity of 735 Sheridan Road
Attachment E: Photos of other Colonial Revival style houses in Winnetka
Attachment F: Supporting Documents
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Attachment A
Exterior views
of the
Frank O. Magie House and Grounds
at
735 Sheridan Road,
Winnetka, Illinois, 2017
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Attachment A
Exterior views of the Frank O. Magie House and Grounds at 735 Sheridan Road, Winnetka, Illinois, 2017
View from Sheridan Road looking east with coach house on the left.
Views of entrance posts and fence along Sheridan Road.
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Attachment A
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Attachment A
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Attachment A
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Attachment A
Front elevation dormer north elevation looking southeast
North elevation looking southwest
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Attachment A
Rear elevation looking west showing 2004 lake room addition in center.
Rear elevation details
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Attachment A
View looking northwest
South elevation, view looking northwest

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Attachment A
Coach house exterior views
Coach house exterior views
Coach house interior views
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Attachment A
View of house from pool complex Pool complex built 1999
North staircase from the beach to the bluff
South steps from beach to the bluff

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Attachment B
Interior views
of the
Frank O. Magie House and Grounds
at
735 Sheridan Road,
Winnetka, Illinois, 2017
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Attachment B
Interior views of the Frank O. Magie House and Grounds at 735 Sheridan Road, Winnetka, Illinois, 2017
Foyer looking west
Main staircase detail Front vestibule mosaic tile flooring
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Attachment B
Looking southwest from foyer into living room
Living room looking southeast
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Attachment B
Living room fireplace
Living room looking southwest

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Attachment B
Sun porch looking east
Dining room looking north
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Attachment B
Dining room fireplace
Dining room looking southeast

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Attachment B
Lake view room looking southeast Stairs to basement in lake view room
First floor bathroom window next to front door
Stairs to basement from family room Family room looking northeast into kitchen
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Attachment B
Front hall staircase
Second floor corridor master bedroom
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Attachment B
Fireplace in master bedroom master bedroom looking toward hallway
Typical hardware on original wood paneled doors master bathroom
Second floor bedroom Second floor bathroom

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Attachment B
Second floor corridor looking northeast second floor bedroom looking northeast
Second floor bedroom with built-in hutch second floor bedroom looking northwest
Views of secondary stairwell
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Attachment B
Hutch in third floor linen room third floor bedroom third floor bathroom
Third floor rec room third floor hallway
Basement bathroom basement storage room

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Attachment C
Neighborhood Character Table
Address Architectural Style Construction No. of cladding

Date stories
693 Neo-Colonial 2004 2½ Brick
695 Colonial Revival/not visible 1956 1½ Brick and wood/vinyl

from street
697 Neo-Shingle style 2006 2 Stone/wood shingles
703 Contemporary/set far back 2012 2 glass

from the street
711 Colonial Revival 1926 2 brick
715 Unknown/not visible from 2000 Unknown unknown

street
730 Colonial Revival 1939 2½ Brick and vinyl
740 Unknown/not visible from 1939 Unknown Unknown

street
745 Neo-French Eclectic 2012 2 stone
750 Neo-Italian Renaissance 2008 2½ stone
755 Unknown/not visible from 2012 Unknown unknown

street
765 Neo-French Eclectic 2006 2 stone
771 Not visible from street 2015 Unknown unknown
773 Ranch 1949 2 Field stone
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Historical Architectural Impact Study of 735 Sheridan Road in Winentka

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Historical Architectural Impact Study of 735 Sheridan Road in Winentka

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HISTORICAL AND ARCHITECTURAL IMPACT STUDY

Submitted to the Village of Winnetka on December 14, 2017

T HE F RANK O. M AGIE H OUSE

HAIS prepared by: Jean L. Guarino, Ph.D.

Property Owner Name Period of Ownership

Frank Ogden Magie

John S. Gleason Jr.

Richard and Joan Rusnack

Robert and Mary Ann Kollar

No information was found on these property owners.

Len and Gaye Wislow

Construction Date: 19047

Permit Date Owner Action Architect

Series I: Project Files

Evaluation of Historic Significance

Evaluation of Architectural Significance

Evaluation of Neighborhood Impact

“Chester F. Sargent,” Chicago Tribune, Nov. 6, 1980.

Chicago Landmarks Commission, Chicago Historic Resources Survey, 1996.

Cook County Recorder of Deeds. Tract Book No. 247A, pp.

Inland Architect and News Record, Vol. 45, No. 6.

“Quick-Magie Wedding,” Chicago Tribune, Dec. 30, 1894.

Winnetka phone directories, varying years.

Attachment A: Exterior views, 2017

Attachment B: Interior views, 2017

Attachment C: Neighborhood Character Table

Attachment D: Photos of houses in the vicinity of 735 Sheridan Road

Attachment E: Photos of other Colonial Revival style houses in Winnetka

Attachment F: Supporting Documents

Views of entrance posts and fence along Sheridan Road.

Front elevation dormer north elevation looking southeast

North elevation looking southwest

Rear elevation details

View looking northwest

South elevation, view looking northwest

Coach house exterior views

Coach house exterior views

Coach house interior views

View of house from pool complex Pool complex built 1999

North staircase from the beach to the bluff

South steps from beach to the bluff

Foyer looking west

Main staircase detail Front vestibule mosaic tile flooring

Looking southwest from foyer into living room

Living room looking southeast

Living room fireplace

Living room looking southwest

Sun porch looking east

Dining room looking north

Dining room fireplace

Dining room looking southeast

First floor bathroom window next to front door

Front hall staircase

Second floor corridor master bedroom

Fireplace in master bedroom master bedroom looking toward hallway

Typical hardware on original wood paneled doors master bathroom

Second floor bedroom Second floor bathroom

Views of secondary stairwell

Third floor rec room third floor hallway

Basement bathroom basement storage room

Neighborhood Character Table

Address Architectural Style Construction No. of cladding

695 Colonial Revival/not visible 1956 1½ Brick and wood/vinyl

703 Contemporary/set far back 2012 2 glass