Hermosa Houses Built Before 1900

The Great Chicago Fire in 1871 barely made it past the Chicago River so there were no structures in Hermosa that were affected and the community area was not officially part of Chicago at the time. The railroads had crossed through and much of the area was sporadically built in conjunction with the railroad community.

It was not until the turn of the 20th century that the majority of homes were built on the southern end of Hermosa, and past 1920 that the area north of Diversey was built by a developer. Therefore, the southern part of Hermosa contains some of the oldest buildings in the neighborhood. Here are some 19th century buildings constructed during the Victorian era that are still standing:

2103 N Tripp, circa 1890

2016 N Kedvale Ave, circa 1894 - Graystone

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2029-2033 N Kildare, Circa 1886

Taking up 2 lots, this frame house is a great example of the autonomy of space and architecture when the area was sparsely populated. The porch may seem more opulent today, but these were practical elements in the late 19th century. An airy, shaded porch in the summertime in an era with no air conditioning was probably a popular spot in the hot Chicago summers.

2255 N Keeler Ave, circa 1890 - Iglesia Betania

This is near the Walt Disney Birthplace, both structures being built by Elias Disney. It was previously called the St. Paul Congregational Church , currently the Iglesia Evangelica Bautista Betania since the 1980s.

2156 N Tripp Ave, circa 1893 - The Walt Disney Birthplace

Also built by Elias Disney, Walt’s father, this two-story wood framed house has been in the process of restoration for ~10 years and the Walt Disney Birthplace foundation continues the effort. The second side angle photo is from 2011, before the restoration began.

1820. N Keeler Ave, Circa 1896

This A frame brick is a cottage house nodding to it’s future cousin the Chicago bungalow. The side drive makes for a double-wide lot and if the garage was built with the house, it would have been used for carriages, not cars.