1401 N Dearborn | The McConnell House

Park your broomstick at the door! 🎃 

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This Queen Anne inspired home at the corner of Dearborn and Schiller is one of the oldest known homes in all of Chicago.

When Luther McConnell purchased this corner lot, the land had only recently been decommissioned, converted and divided into residential lots for purchase. Before — this intersection had upheld the southwest edge of a sprawling Catholic Cemetery.

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It was the late 1860s, and as the city began to outgrow itself prior to the Great Chicago Fire, developers got creative and maybe even a tad greedy with the north side. Often pushing existing boundaries to a breaking point to force new opportunities for land development. Sometimes even dismantling and disrupting cemeteries resting peacefully in the way…

This mansion, the McConnell House, was constructed in 1877 by architect Asa Lyon. Without even stepping inside we can tell from the exterior masonry, the elaborate stone columns and detailed bits of limestone peppered on all sides that Lyon spared no expense. The opulence was to be expected of McConnell, longstanding credit manager to the famous retail entrepreneur Marshall Fields.

The property was so grand in fact, that after McConnell's daughter married in 1895, her husband simply moved in and the newlyweds relocated to the rear portion of the property easily accessed by a second private entrance on Schiller. Not to be confused with the second side entrance to the main house, also on Schiller St, seen below with elaborate columns, stonework and currently showcasing the mosaic portrait of a man who, in short, I didn’t recognize. (If you happen to know about the mosaic or the man, please share with a comment!!)

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The true rear entrance at 22 W Schiller also goes by a ghost of another name. Does the Chez Quis ring a bell? … Bueller? ... Bueller?

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You can catch a quick look at the McConnell House circa 1986 reimagined in the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The split-second scene that features Ferris and friends outside the Chez Quis was actually filmed at the side entrance to 22 W Schiller shown above. It was never a restaurant. Notice the street number “22” in this screen-grab from the movie?

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As you can see, the home is no longer painted grey or covered with ivy. Since Ferris Buller’s Day Off the McConnell House enjoyed a complete restoration by Chicago’s very own Richard Driehaus. According to public records, Driehaus has owned this historic home for the last 30+ years but does not reside here.  

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1239 N Dearborn | An Earnest Row House