Prairie Avenue Timeline
Beginnings 1812 -1871
- Native Americans and Caucasian settlers have altercation at 18th Street and Prairie Avenue at Fort Dearborn on August 15, 1812
- First house on Prairie Avenue completed in 1853
- Chicago Fire of 1871 encouraged people to buy land on Prairie Avenue
Glory Days 1872 – 1904
- Wealthy families move to Prairie Avenue in 1877
- Prairie Avenue “must see site” during Columbian Exposition in 1893
- Last home built for nearly a century in 1904
Decline 1905 – 1965
- Commercial buildings began to replace residential homes in 1905
- Medical School and Clinic for Drug/Alcohol Abuse built in 1910
- Last resident abandoned Prairie Avenue in 1944
Rebirth 1966 -present
- A group of preservationist bought Glessner House in 1966
- Prairie Avenue Historic District was designated in 1979
- 1990s marked new residential developments in Prairie Avenue neighborhood
Please click on the link for more information on the history of the Glessner House.
Glessner House Museum 