{"nrhp_refnum":"73000694","name":"Dewes, Francis J., House","other_names":["Swedish Engineers Society"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"503 W. Wrightwood Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Chicago","county":"Cook County","state":"IL","lat":41.93048251300007,"lon":-87.64195340799995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1973-08-14","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Art","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A three-story Baroque mansion at 503 West Wrightwood Avenue in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, built 1894-96 for brewer Francis J. Dewes. It is faced in Bedford limestone and has a mansard roof.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is an outstanding example of Baroque and Louis XV style design with exceptional craftsmanship and art, including carved stone, wrought iron shown at the 1893 Columbian Exposition, and a large stained glass window. It is described as one of the last great homes of its kind in Chicago and as reasonably unaltered, having had only two owners.","narrative":"Built between 1894 and 1896 at 503 West Wrightwood Avenue in Chicago, this three-story Baroque mansion was designed by architects Adolph Cudell and Arthur Hercz for Francis Joseph Dewes, a wealthy brewer who wanted a home reflecting old world art and culture. The exterior is Bedford limestone with carved figures, two caryatids beneath the entrance balcony, hand-wrought iron and copper detailing, and a mansard roof with a copper cupola. Inside, rooms follow different European styles: a Gothic revival library, a French Renaissance drawing room, a Flemish dining room and a Louis XVI ballroom. Wrought iron exhibited at the 1893 Columbian Exposition and a large stained glass window by a Belgian artist are notable features. The Dewes family lived here for almost a quarter century before the Swedish Engineers Society bought it in 1920. With only two owners, the house remains largely unaltered, and it is described as one of the last great homes of its era in Chicago.","period_of_significance":"1894-96","architect_builder":"Adolph Cudell and Arthur Hercz, architects","architectural_style":"Baroque (Louis XV style exterior)","criteria":[],"status_note":"Owned and occupied by a private club, the Swedish Engineers Society, since 1920, which uses it as its clubhouse and headquarters; condition listed as good and unaltered.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:34.631582-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/96/8921/28892196/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/73000694.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/73000694/186ee88a06-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/73000694/186ee88a06-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Smallbones","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dewes_House.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Smallbones</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dewes_House.JPG"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"77000478","name":"Lakeview Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/illinois/lakeview-historic-district-77000478/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28892196","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_J._Dewes_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5481414"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/cook-county/dewes-francis-j-house-73000694/"}