Chicagoland Prize Homes

Prize Home #2

This modest design, only two bedrooms, was built twice, once in Palatine and once in the cluster in what is now West Rogers Park. The Palatine house was torn down in the mid-2000s, and remains an empty lot. The West Rogers Park home now has a second floor, which likely doubles the original square footage as well as increasing the number of bedrooms.

Prize Home #3

Originally, the Sunnyside Avenue house had two bedrooms; today there is a third bedroom and an addition on the back. While the porch roof might have been a later edition, it is likely the house was built with more conventional windows than the original design.

Prize Home #4

This house has undergone significant change.  A 1947 Tribune photo of the back of the house indicates it was built as designed although in reverse.  Today, the house has, instead of the protruding garage from the original, a built-in garage.  The roofline is different, it has more front windows than the original, and an overhanging porch roof sits over the front door.  Although the floor plan labels this a two-bedroom house, and it won in the smallest house category, the first floor has a small study and the second floor has a very large storage room; each could be used as a bedroom.  The house is now listed as a three-bedroom home.

Prize Home #5

Initially a two-bedroom house with a flat-roof over the garage, the garage in this version now has a conventionally peaked roof. A two-story addition expands the first floor living space and adds a third bedroom to the second floor.

Prize Home #9

This large house has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half bathrooms, but contains a small second-floor sewing room as a bonus. It appears from the outside to be architecturally unchanged. There is some evidence—as of yet unconfirmed—that another version was built in the Chicagoland area.

Prize Home #10

Four houses were built from this design: 368 Ridge Road, Highland Park;  12020 Maple Ave in Blue Island; 2900 W. Pratt; and 1542 Woodbine Ct. in Deerfield. With three bedrooms, one bathroom and a dining alcove rather than full dining room, it is relatively modest. The Deerfield house has been replaced entirely. The Highland Park version has had extensive renovation: the attached garage has been converted to living space, a two-car garage has been added to the side, and the back of the house also is expanded. A popular real estate website lists it as a five-bedroom, three-bathroom house. The W. Pratt version is unchanged; some owner of the Blue Island house converted the garage into living space.

Prize Home #11

The following two-and-a-half bathroom, three-bedroom version of the house has been expanded. An addition over the garage added a bedroom, and the living space was extended by building a family room extension at the back of the first floor.

Prize Home #12

A master suite, with separate bathroom and walk-in closet, makes this house distinctive. With three bedrooms and two full baths, plus a separate dining area plus breakfast nook, this house is one of the largest in the competition. There appear to be no architectural changes since it was built in West Rogers Park.

Prize Home #16

The 6817 North Francisco version may still be a three-bedroom home, but a covered porch has been enclosed, likely enlarging the living area.

The other version, 100 W. Washington in Lombard, is substantially altered. It now has an addition over the garage, and an expansion on the first floor. Although originally a three-bedroom house, it is now likely has four bedrooms.

Prize Home #17

One of the largest houses to be built, this four-bedroom house has not only a master bedroom/bath combination, but two additional full bathrooms on the second floor in addition to a half-bath on the first floor. It appears from the street to be unchanged from the initial design, but as it is larger and closer in design to contemporary house preferences, there would be less demand for change.

Prize Home #18

Two homes were built from this design. Despite being a four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom design, the Highland Park version was torn down in 2005 and replaced by new home; a year later, the same thing happened to the Wheaton house.   

Prize Home #19

This large house, with four bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, appears to be unchanged. It has a first floor study, and a large laundry room which bridges the attached garage to the rest of the house. The design looks more like late twentieth-century designs.

Prize Home #21

The designer created a completely open plan for living, dining and kitchen, separating the bedrooms along one wing. With four bedrooms and two bathrooms, this is a large house. Owners at some point converted the attached garage to living space; a popular real estate site lists this house as having five bedrooms and three bathrooms.