MORGAN PARK — Mati Maldre tells people he lives on Walter Burley Griffin Place though most people still refer to it as 104th Place.
A two-block stretch from 1600 to 1800 West was re-named in 1981 for the architect who built Maldre's Beverly home. His house, numbered 1727, was built in 1912. It's one of seven residential buildings on the block credited to the architect who worked alongside Frank Lloyd Wright.
Maldre is on the board of the Walter Burley Griffin Society of America. The group meets annually to celebrate the architect from suburban Elmhurst and others who are credited with founding the Prairie School of Architecture.
The meeting returns to the area for the first time in 12 years at 9 a.m. Saturday. The 18th annual meeting begins with a lecture series at Morgan Park Academy. After the talks and a box lunch at 2153 W. 111th St., society members will tour 10 nearby Prairie School structures in Beverly, Morgan Park and suburban Blue Island.
The Van Nostrand House at 1666 W. 104th Place is one of seven houses credited to Prairie School-architect Walter Burley Griffin in the 1600-1800 blocks of West 104th Place in Beverly. The block was named for Griffin in 1981. [DNAinfo/Howard A. Ludwig]
Among the stops on the tour will be the Adams House at 9326 S. Pleasant Ave. in North Beverly. This home was built by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1901, who would have worked side by side with Griffin at the time of construction, Maldre said.
"Griffin's name was never really mentioned back then," said Maldre, who moved into his home in 1980.
After five years working with Wright in suburban Oak Park, the pair parted ways. Among Griffin's first independent projects was a series of homes built on Maldre's block. These homes were commissioned in 1909 by Russell Blount, a real estate manager for a bank, according to Maldre and confirmed by published reports.
Maldre's home was made with middle-income families in mind. These economical homes join 68 others in the Beverly area that were built in the Prairie style and documented by Maldre throughout his career as a photographer.
Maldre taught photography at Chicago State University for 35 years before retiring. He took pictures of all 13 of Griffin's homes in the 19th Ward for the Beverly Area Planning Association years ago. This eventually led to a book.
"I ended up photographing every single Griffin home in the United States," said Maldre last week.
The photographer co-authored "Walter Burley Griffin in America" with Paul Kruty, a former professor of architecture at the University of Illinois. Published in 1996, the book serves as a visual catalog of Griffin's American buildings, landscapes and urban designs.
Griffin often worked alongside his wife, Marion Mahony Griffin. She worked 11 years for Wright and was the first licensed female architect in Illinois. Marion Griffin is also largely credited for being the driving force behind her husband winning an international competition to design the first capital city of Australia.
Maldre visited the city of Canberra and took more than 100 photos for his second book, "The Griffins in Australia." It was published in 1998.
The Commission on Chicago Landmarks named 104th Place from 1600 to 1800 West for Walter Burley Griffin in 1981. Seven of the Prairie-style architect's homes can be found in this stretch. [DNAinfo/Howard A. Ludwig]
The Griffins lived in Australia until 1936, before moving to India, where Walter Griffin died. Marion Griffin eventually returned to Chicago in 1939 and lived in Rogers Park on Estes Avenue until her death at age 90 in 1961.
As for the lecture and tours, Maldre expects nearly 100 people to attend. The upcoming event should be well received as previous meetings in southern Illinois, Wisconsin and elsewhere sometimes feature tours of just three or so homes.
Anyone can join the Griffin society for $25. The members-only tour costs an additional $15. For more information, visit the society's website or call 314-644-4546.
Maldre will also exhibit a series of his photographs of Prairie-style homes and landscapes through the end of July at the Ridge Historical Society at 10621 S. Seeley Ave. in Beverly. For more information, visit the group's website or call 773-445-8871.
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