Mildred and Abel Fagen House

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Mildred and Abel Fagen House
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Location1711 Devonshire Ln., Lake Forest, Illinois
Coordinates 42°12′30″N87°53′17″W / 42.20833°N 87.88806°W / 42.20833; -87.88806
Built1948 (1948)
ArchitectKeck & Keck
Architectural styleModernist
NRHP reference No. 100006090 [1]
Added to NRHPFebruary 4, 2021

The Mildred and Abel Fagen House is a historic house at 1711 Devonshire Lane in Lake Forest, Illinois. Its address at the time of its construction was 1581 Old Mill Road, but the surrounding acreage was eventually sold to developer Arthur Rubloff, who added a number of new streets to service the many additional homes that were built on the former Fagen property. The house was built in 1948 for Mildred Fagen, a patron and leader in the local arts community, and her husband Abel, a textile broker. Prominent Modern Movement architects Keck & Keck designed the house, which was heavily influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian work. The one-story house has a flat roof with overhanging eaves, giving it a horizontal emphasis that reflects the area's flat landscape. The house's use of natural materials such as wood, glass, and limestone and its lack of ornamental features continue the emphasis on blending in with its surroundings. The interior design includes a low-ceilinged foyer leading to a larger dining room, stone fireplaces used as focal points, and a narrow hallway leading to the bedrooms, all of which were typical elements of Wright's Usonian plans. [2]

The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 4, 2021. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 1/13/2021 Through 2/5/2021". National Park Service . Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  2. Benjamin, Susan S. (August 8, 2020). "Mildred and Abel Fagen House" (PDF). Illinois Historic Preservation Division . Retrieved February 7, 2021.