King, Patrick J., House
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Why it's listed
Designed in 1901 by George W. Maher, this three-story house on Chicago's West Side was built for businessman Patrick J. King at a cost of $18,000. Its south facade is rough-cut and finished Bedford stone, with brick on the other sides, a modified mansard roof of red tile, and an arched center dormer over Palladian windows. Thistle-decorated column capitals carry the thistle motif that Maher used as a unifying theme, repeated indoors in a carved arch, plaster ceiling trim and colorful mosaic floors. The design is compared to Maher's demolished Patten House in Evanston, built at the same time. The house also has political importance: Patrick A. Nash lived here from 1925 to 1943 and helped lead the Kelly-Nash Machine, which controlled Chicago government in the 1930s. After serving as a single-family home, it became a boarding house and then a nursing home, and later stood abandoned before restoration planning began.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a largely unaltered example of Maher's mature urban residential work from his Farson phase, comparable to his demolished James A. Patten House in Evanston. It is also tied to Chicago political history as the home of Patrick A. Nash, power behind the "Kelly-Nash Machine", from 1925 until his death in 1943.
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 83000311, listed February 10, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3234 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | February 10, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000311 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | George W. Maher |
| Architectural style | Prairie School with stylized Sullivanesque and geometric classical detail |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as having declined and been abandoned during the disinvestment on Chicago's West Side before purchase by the present owner, who is formulating a restoration plan for the exterior and first-floor interior. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Chicago Park Boulevard System Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.88290, -87.70752 (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 83000311.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6411176
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.