Frank Lloyd Wright House, among Chicago’s most endangered buildings,
bought by nonprofit
[June 27, 2026]
By MICHAEL LIPTROT/Block Club Chicago
The West Side’s only single-family home designed by famed architect
Frank Lloyd Wright is due for a multimillion-dollar refresh under new
ownership after spending years in disrepair.
West Side nonprofit Austin Coming Together announced Wednesday that it
purchased the J.J. Walser House at 42 N. Central Ave., which Wright
designed for the Austin real estate developer for which the home is
named.
The house, built in 1903 in Wright’s signature Prairie Style, became a
city landmark in 1984, but it has sat in deteriorating condition and was
the subject of foreclosure proceedings since its longtime owner died in
2019. The nonprofit is now planning to undertake restoration efforts
expected to cost millions.
“The J.J. Walser House is part of Austin’s story, and we believe its
next chapter should be shaped by the people who call this community
home,” Darnell Shields, executive director of Austin Coming Together,
said in a statement.
The home was previously owned by Hurley and Anne Teague since their 1970
purchase, according to Austin Coming Together. Following Anne Teague’s
2019 death, the property sat vacant for years. Without an heir who could
pay for the property’s upkeep, it eventually fell into disrepair.
Last year, the home was named to both Chicago’s “most endangered
properties” list by Preservation Chicago and Illinois’ Most Endangered
Historic Places list by Landmark Illinois.
The home has structural damage, including holes in the foundation, the
preservation agencies reported last year. The Teague family has publicly
advocated for an entity to step in to preserve the home.
“When my grandparents purchased the Walser home, it represented upwardly
mobile Black people establishing legacies for their families and
creating a blueprint for home ownership in the Black community,”
Charisse J. Grossley & Johnny Teague, heirs of Anne Teague, said in a
statement accompanying its inclusion in Landmark Illinois’ report. “The
preservation of this landmark is essential not only for its historical
value to the community but also for its potential to educate future
generations.”
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The J.J. Walser House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is seen Feb.
25, 2025, in Chicago. (Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago via AP)
Since its longtime owners’ death, the home fell into foreclosure.
The Federal National Mortgage Association, the federal
government-back mortgage holder known as Fannie Mae, took control of
the Walser house in January, property records show.
The agency then sold the property in April to Community Initiatives
Inc, a neighborhood revitalization group, records show. Austin
Coming Together then purchased the home for $125,000, with $60,000
coming from Chicago’s Troubled Buildings Initiative, according to
Crain’s. The sale is not yet publicly listed in property records.
Crain’s reported that Austin Coming Together is looking to fundraise
for a rehab of the home, estimated to be between $2.7 million to
$3.5 million, including as much as $575,000 that’s needed to
stabilize the property.
“Our first responsibility is to stabilize this treasured landmark
and protect it from further deterioration. From there, we will work
with residents and partners to envision a future that honors both
the house and the community,” Shields said in the statement.
The Austin nonprofit is joining other developments along the Central
Avenue corridor, such as the recently opened Aspire Center For
Workforce Innovation across the street at 5500 W. Madison St. Its
leadership said it views the house as a “historic asset with the
potential to anchor preservation, education, cultural pride, and
community along one of the neighborhood’s key corridors.”
Austin Coming Together said it plans to share updates on next steps
and community engagement opportunities related to the J.J. Walser
House on the project’s website.
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