The Noble–Seymour–Crippen House is a

mansion A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word '' manse'' originally defined a property l ...

located at 5624 North Newark Avenue in Chicago's Norwood Park community area. Its southern wing, built in 1833, is widely considered the oldest existing building in Chicago.Noble-Seymour-Crippen House
City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division (2003). Retrieved on 2007-05-14.

History

The southern wing of the house was originally used as a

farmhouse FarmHouse (FH) is a social Fraternities and sororities in North America, fraternity founded at the University of Missouri on April 15, 1905. It became a national organization in 1921. Today FarmHouse has 33 active chapters and four associate ch ...

by Mark Noble Sr., an English immigrant. The frame structure was approximately and the main entrance was in the center of the south-facing end, facing Talcott Road. It was built with white pine on a brick foundation. The center of the building featured a fireplace and there was probably a basement. A window was found on each side of the main door; there were probably also two windows along each of the long sides. In 1868, Thomas Hartley Seymour of the

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purchased the house and surrounding land. He immediately added an Italianate style northern wing to accommodate his large family and servants. He also raised the roof on the older section, the south wing, to build a second floor. This also allowed for the implementation of round, arched windows. A small, wood frame summer kitchen was added to the south gable of the south wing. The family used the first floor of the former Noble house as a large dining room and they used the second floor as servants' quarters. To ensure architectural harmony with the newer section, a frieze was added to this wing below the roof. The Italianate addition has a typical floor plan for the era. A side entry hall with a stairway opens to a parlor, library, and dining room (the latter being the former Noble house). The second floor was used for bedrooms with a connecting door to the servants' quarters. In the 1890s, Seymour built a wood porch stretching from the south wing entrance to the Italianate entrance.

Portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...

es were installed over each door. The Seymour family lived at the site until 1916, when they sold it to Stuart and Charlotte Allen Crippen, a concert pianist and an actress. During the 1920s, the Crippens installed indoor plumbing and electricity and added a second stairway to the Noble wing. The Crippen children and grandchildren sold the building to the Norwood Park Historical Society in 1987.Bill Cuniff, "First Norwood Park house open for Saturday tours." '' Chicago Sun-Times''. 1998-01-16. Homelife, p. 8. The Noble–Seymour–Crippen House received

Chicago Landmark Chicago Landmark is a designation by the Mayor and the City Council of Chicago for historic sites in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Listed sites are selected after meeting a combination of criteria, including historical, economic, archite ...

status on May 11, 1988. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 10, 2000.National Register of Historical Places - Illinois (IL), Cook County
''National Register of Historic Places''. National Park Service. Retrieved 2007-05-14. Since 1998, the building has served the Norwood Park Historical Society Museum and community center.

Notes

External links

Norwood Park Historical Society
{{DEFAULTSORT:Noble-Seymour-Crippen House Historic house museums in Illinois Houses completed in 1833 Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Chicago Museums in Chicago Chicago Landmarks