Chicago Bungalows - Ravenswood Manor
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I first confessed to being a house voyeur way back when...I love to look at houses, especially at night when I can see inside. But I DO NOT want to see people. That wrecks things for me. I want to imagine MYSELF in the house.
Recently, Aaron and I did a little day tour. A completely new concept for me. Looking at the OUTSIDE of houses in the DAYTIME on PURPOSE (not just when you driving from Point A to Point B.)
Chicago is perfect for this--a city of neighborhoods, each with their own unique feel and each flush with bungalows. So on this occasion we found some very fun bungalows in a neighborhood near to ours: Ravenswood Manor.
I love these old tile roofs. Our house probably had a cedar shakes roof, it couldn't support tile. But if it could...well....sigh...
What is there NOT to love about this little bungalow? The prairie grass...perfect. The three little windows in the dormer...priceless. The knee braces...the horizontal band trim above the windows and front steps... Oh! The details.
And then there was my favorite...I don't think I have to explain why. I'll just let you look at it.
I am hopelessly devoted to old charm.
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Comments
I am a house voyeur too! I have been since I was a kid. I never cared to see the people in them, I just wanted to know what the house looked like inside (weird hobby for a kid in the suburbs, eh?). I'm sure you have, but I'll ask anyway, have you read The Chicago Bungalow? I just discovered the book last week at the library. Even Mrs. Daley still lives in the bungalow she raised the Mayor in! I love your site. I hope to chronicle my own A-C bungalow or foursquare restoration someday. I'm even trying to start a career in home remodeling (not remudding) and restoration. A degree in Radio doesn't exactly get your foot in the door too quickly...
Reading thru some of the search engine topics that lead people to your site, I stumbled across your site in a search for kit homes, nothing too weird. Speaking of weird...I'm so glad to not be the only house voyeur out there! Voyeurism is good in the coming months because no one closes their curtains so they can show off their Christmas tree...
I'm horrible!
Is there a 12 step program for this?
Posted by: abw | November 9, 2004 11:39 PM
That would really be spooky if the Mayor's mother is still living in a bungalow, since she died about a year ago.
Posted by: Answer Guy | November 10, 2004 6:40 AM
Answer Guy! Didn't you know anything is possible with Sis Daley? (wink) Actually, she lived in the same Chicago-style Bungalow (not to be confused with other styles of bungalows located IN Chicago) for 64 years. And yes, she did die at home in Feb. 2003.
As a resident of Chicago, I didn't know that the Mayor's mother had died right away either. Too much other news going on in that month. Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy, worldwide marches against the Bush Administration's determination to invade Iraq without just cause, Rep. U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel admitted to ownership in the country's largest voting machine company, etc. etc.
Not to take away from Sis Daley's memory, but we were a little preoccupied with other news at that time...
Posted by: samantha | November 10, 2004 10:00 AM
Well the book was published in 2001, guess I didn't think about that part...I haven't lived in the area for a few years now so I didn't know that she had passed... Either way, it's cool that, given the status of the Daley's, she remained a true Chicagoan and stayed in that house.
Posted by: abw | November 11, 2004 2:08 AM
I confess! I have the same addiction. We have some lovely neighborhoods in our area that I'll never tire of riding slooooooowly through, and every time I visit a new place I look for the historic districts.
My favorite in this particular collection of bungalows in the first one. I like the windows on the front.
Posted by: Kristin | November 11, 2004 10:25 AM
Perfect timing - I've been visiting your site for months (we closed on an old fixer-upper this past weekend and just started an MT journal to document the process) and last night we were taking a good look at our radiators, because we have one in the kitchen that makes quite a bit of noise AND isn't heating up. Thanks for the great story and resource links!
Posted by: Mindy | November 11, 2004 2:03 PM
I saw a show recently on the History channel about the Chicago bungalow. It was called "Back to the blueprint" and each week they feature a different building style. Last week was the Chicago bungalow and they did a segment about the clay tiles. Very interesting.
a.
Posted by: A | November 15, 2004 2:36 PM
If there was a 12-Step Program for house voyeurism....hmmmmm.
Oh, I don't care! If lovin' houses is wrong, I don't wanna be right!!! (She warbles)
Posted by: jm | November 15, 2004 3:51 PM