1141 Chatfield

The beautiful Arts & Crafts home was first built in 1914 for Paul and May Hunter. Originally from Kansas, Paul worked as a wool salesman in Chicago. The Hunters lived in this house until 1923, when they sold it to Hans and Bertha Magnus.

Hans and Bertha Magnus both immigrated to Chicago from Germany in the mid-1890s. After they got married in 1901, Hans started working as a glassmaker before finding success as a bristle brush manufacturer. After becoming naturalized citizens, they moved to Winnetka and purchased the home at 1141 Chatfield, where they lived for several decades.

Unfortunately, the original building permit application doesn’t list the architect’s name, so that remains a mystery. We do know that the architect was likely skilled and well-versed in the intricacies of the Arts & Crafts style, which was particularly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

This house has several features that make it a good representation of the style, which highlights handcrafted elements and natural materials. Like many typical Arts & Crafts structures, this house has a stucco exterior with wood trim. It originally had decorative wood elements on the columns of the arched entryway that were typical of the style but they have since been removed. The wide eaves braced by wood brackets along the roofline are also representative of the style.

Thanks to the care of various owners over its 100+ year history, this house has been well preserved and hopefully will remain so for years to come.