Brown, Roger, Home and Studio
Also known as: Roger Brown Study Collection
Why it's listed
Located on Halsted Street in Chicago's Lincoln Park area, this two-story Italianate building was constructed in 1888 to a design by Frederick Siebold. It has red brick walls, limestone details and its original cast-iron storefront. Past ground-floor tenants included a tobacco shop, bookbindery, grocer and ice cream shop. Artist Roger Brown bought the building in 1974 and lived and worked there until just before his death in 1997. With his partner, architect George Veronda, he converted the first-floor retail space into a studio and workshop and created an apartment upstairs, much of the work done by the two men themselves. Brown also built the garage and designed the formal backyard garden. Many of his important artworks were made in the studio. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago now owns the property and maintains it as a house museum and study collection, with interiors and belongings kept as Brown left them. The building also reflects the neighborhood's commercial growth and its later popularity with artists.
Significance in brief: The property is tied to Roger Brown, an important twentieth-century artist who lived and worked there from 1974 until just before his death in 1997. He and his partner, architect George Veronda, renovated the interior, and it remains largely as Brown left it. It also reflects Lincoln Park's commercial development and its later appeal to artists.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 11000029, listed February 22, 2011. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1926 N Halsted St, Chicago |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | February 22, 2011 |
| Reference number | 11000029 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Frederick Siebold (architect of the 1888 building); George Veronda (renovation design); Roger Brown (garage and backyard) |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian / Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Art |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Maintained as a house museum and study collection owned by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, with interiors preserved as Brown left them. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Lincoln Park |
| Coordinates | 41.91758, -87.62940 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 11000029.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q136831165
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.