GOLD COAST — One month after heavy rains damaged the historic Charnley-Persky House at 1365 N. Astor St., donations and grant money have poured in to help cover more than $27,000 in repair and restoration costs.
Since preservationists put out a call for help repairing and restoring the landmark, $12,000 have poured in, generating another $10,000 in funding from a matching grant offered by Cynthia and Ben Weese.
Cynthia Weese is a board member of the Society of Architectural Historians, a nonprofit organization that promotes the study and conservation of architecture and has called the Charnley-Persky house home since 1995.
Last week, the Society of Architectural Historians received a $5,000 grant from the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation to fund repairs to the ceiling and walls of the house's library.
Designed by Louis Sullivan and his then-junior draftsman Frank Lloyd Wright in the late 1800s, the Gold Coast house was built in 1891 and 1892 and has been on the National Historic Landmark registry since 1998.
The flood was caused by a blocked drainage pipe that sent water streaming down the eastern wall of the library, damaging the enclosed bookcase and intricately carved fireplace and leaving inches of standing water in the home's storage room, basement and powder room.
The water damaged the building's original woodwork and caused a portion of the ceiling to collapse. So far the society has spent $25,000 on repairs, but a spokeswoman said additional work needs to be done, and updated assessments of restoration costs aren't yet available.
Considered "a pivotal work of modern American residential architecture," according to the society, restoring the Charnley-Persky House will also require specialized repainting to maintain the interior's late-19th century modern styling.
The house is open for public tours on Wednesdays and Saturdays and occasionally hosts public lectures.
"The Chicago architectural community is a tight-knit one and we are very grateful for our many friends," said Pauline Saliga, the society's executive director.
The society needs additional support to fund restoration efforts and is accepting donations online and checks made out to the Charnley-Persky House Museum Foundation, at 1365 N. Astor Street, Chicago, IL 60610.
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