CHICAGO (August 29, 2017) – TAWANI Foundation today announced a $150,000 donation to the Glessner House Museum, an architecturally important 19th-century residence located at 1800 S. Prairie Avenue on Chicago’s South Side. Prairie Avenue once ranked as one of Chicago’s most prestigious residential streets.
The $150,000 contribution will be allocated at $50,000 per year over three years. The gift complements donations made by the Alphawood Foundation and Driehaus Foundation, bringing the total commitment to the Glessner House Museum preservation to $500,000.
The John and Frances Glessner House, which operates as the Glessner House Museum, was designed in 1885 and 1886 by prominent America architect Henry Hobson Richardson. The house is recognized nationwide for its groundbreaking architecture and important collection of arts and crafts decorative arts. In 1970, the Museum was designated as a Chicago Landmark and listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and in 1976, named as a National Historic Landmark.
The house offers one of the most innovative floor plans and designs of its time. The walls of the house are pushed close to the lot lines, allowing for a spacious private courtyard within. The courtyard allows abundant natural light to enter the main rooms of the house through south-facing windows, and also provides a level of privacy rarely achieved in urban residences. A long servant hall sits along the north side of the house, buffering the family spaces from the noise of 18th Street and the brutal winter winds.
The exterior of the house is clad in Braggville granite, laid in courses of various heights, giving the house a strong horizontal appearance. Ornamentation is minimal, and includes an arch of stylized foliage over the front entrance and a series of carved capitals on the second-floor columns.
“The recent gift from the TAWANI Foundation is the latest contribution in our giving to organizations dedicated to preserving and protecting our architectural and cultural heritage,” said retired Lt. Col. Jennifer Pritzker, and president and founder of the TAWANI Foundation. “Our commitment to the Glessner Museum will do more than just preserve our history, it will help keep the Museum’s character intact for generations to come.”
TAWANI Foundation has a long history of providing assistance to organizations dedicated to historic preservation and protecting our cultural heritage. In 2016, more than 50 cultural organizations or structures received grants totaling more than $1.5 million.
“I’m grateful to the TAWANI Foundation for its contribution to the preservation of the iconic Glessner House Museum,” said William Tyre, executive director and curator at the Glessner House Museum. “The Museum is one of Chicago’s historic treasures and it’s gratifying to see so many prominent foundation’s coming together to support the Museum for long-term growth and sustainability.”
For more information about the Glessner House Museum or to arrange a tour, visit https://www.glessnerhouse.org. To learn more about the TAWANi Foundation and its focus, impact and grants, visit http://www.tawanifoundation.org.
About The TAWANI Foundation
Founded in 2002, TAWANI Enterprises’ philanthropic organization, The TAWANI Foundation is a 501(c)(3) that contributed more than $12.3 million (fiscal year 2016) in grants to provide support in the areas of military awareness and heritage, arts and culture, historical preservation, health and wellness, LGBT and human rights, education and environmental initiatives. For more information about the TAWANI Foundation or to learn more about its impact, awards and focus, visit http://www.tawanifoundation.org.
About TAWANI Enterprises
TAWANI Enterprises, headquartered in Chicago, is an investment group specializing in the development, investment, management and preservation of real estate properties in the Chicago area. The company represents a diversified portfolio of iconic brands, such as Stone Heritage Properties, a luxury collection of historic Bed & Breakfast properties and unique event spaces, the Pritzker Military Museum & Library, the TAWANI Foundation and the Pritzker Military Foundation. Properties under the Stone Heritage Properties luxury collection include Stone Terrace, Stone Porch by the Lake, Lang House, The Emil Bach House and The Lincoln Way Inn. For more information, visit https://tawanienterprises.com/wp.