As President of Chicago Bauhaus and Beyond (CBB), I recently had the honor of working to help preserve one of the Chicago area’s landmark Modernist houses – Robert Bruce Tague’s Frueh House. CBB is a non-profit organization dedicated to education about Modernist architecture, and to preservation efforts, so our focus on the Frueh House is a natural for the group. Located at 145 Oak Knoll Terrace in Highland Park, the property was built for Erne and Florence Frueh in 1948. Still in sound, very restorable condition, the house has been determined by architectural historian Susan Benjamin as being one of only twelve houses in her survey of the area that has potential for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. Robert Bruce Tague joined the offices of Keck + Keck in 1935, where he served as lead draftsman and subsequently became a noted Modernist architect in his own right. Tague was a student and teacher at the New Bauhaus, which opened in Chicago after the Nazis closed the German Bauhaus in 1933. The New Bauhaus was later known as the American School of Design, then as the Institute of Design, which became part of Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). Tague was also an accomplished painter, whose work is highly collectible and exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the country. The Art Institute of Chicago recorded an Oral History interview with Tague by Betty Blum, the abstract of which includes one photograph typifying the architect’s work: a photo of the Frueh house. The Frueh House embodies trademark Keck and Tague passive solar design features from the post-WWII era, a time of great optimism and innovation in residential design. The Frueh House was recently put on the market under circumstances that concerned all of us here at CBB, as well as members of other organizations that have joined forces with us. The marketing efforts for the property specifically termed it a “teardown”; there was no mention of the house’s historic value, or anything that might have alerted preservation-minded buyers that the property was so significant. Indeed, the resulting sale, which came within three days, was to a developer, who paid $575,000 against an asking price of $525,000. Given such marketing, the developer’s interest in building a new house on the lot was to be expected. On January 6th, the City of Highland Park’s Historic Preservation Commission met to consider the developer’s demolition permit. I gave a presentation about the history and significance of the house, and about Robert Bruce Tague. In that presentation, I attempted to make the points I felt were most important: that the architectural history and diversity of the community should be preserved, and that retaining the Frueh House for future generations is key to that effort. Supporting material submitted for the Commission’s consideration included letters, documents and photographs contributed by several preservation groups and concerned individuals, including: David A. Bahlman, President of the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois Stuart Cohen, FAIA; Partner, Stuart Cohen & Julie Hacker Architects; Professor of Architecture Emeritus, University of Illinois, Chicago; and co-author of North Shore Chicago: Houses of the Lakefront Suburbs, with Susan Benjamin (Acanthus Press, 2004) Lynette A. Stuhlmacher, Associate AIA, Steering Committee Chair of DOCOMOMO (DOcumentation and COnservation of the MOdern MOvement), Chicago/Midwest Joan and Gary Gand, Highland Park natives, and longtime owners of a Keck + Keck house, as well as co-founders and Vice Presidents of CBB. Linda Semel, longtime owner of a North Shore Keck + Keck house, and CBB member. I have researched at the Chicago Historical Society and the Art Institute of Chicago, both of which have archives covering Tague and this house in particular. Hedrich-Blessing, one of the nation's premier architectural photography firms, photographed the Freuh house when it was new, for publication. The eleven photographs they took are in the collection of the Chicago Historical Society and they clearly showcase the importance of the design and the beauty of the natural materials and open relationship with nature. Though not shown here, the Chicago Historical Society has gratiously allowed me to present those photos to the Highland Park Historical Commission for their study. As seen in 2005, the house needs and deserves proper restoration and care. Pending demolition or restoration? The Highland Park Historic Preservation Commission will decide. One of the points we worked to establish was that CBB passionately advocates the restoration of the house for an architecturally appreciative buyer, one who is more interested in history and innovative design than in building a new house of the maximum square footage permissible on the lot. Such appreciative buyers are elevating marketability – and raising prices – of other properties in the Midwest, as well as in other Modernist enclaves like Palm Springs, CA and New Canaan, CT, where similar homes sell at a premium based on their authorship. Joan and Gary Gand had this to say: “If this house is lost, it will never be back, and the personality and desirability of unique towns like Highland Park will disappear forever.” I am delighted to report that the Commission’s unanimous vote was that the property is potentially of historic significance, and that consideration of the demolition permit should be delayed pending a formal review. Without that delay, the house could have been demolished immediately. The review, and another vote, will be held on February 17th; the result will determine the fate of the Frueh House. The Commission will evaluate the property against a predetermined list of 10 criteria. After its research, the Commission will determine if the property meets its criteria as a Historic Landmark. If the house meets 1 or 2 of the 10 criteria, the demolition permit may be delayed for six months; if it meets 3 or more, twelve months. During the delay period, the owner must show a bona fide, reasonable attempt to sell the property, and if unsuccessful, must show that further time cannot reasonably be expected to result in a sale. The ten criteria by which the house will be evaluated are: 1) Its character, interest or value as part of the development, heritage or culture characteristics of the community, county, state or country; 2) Its location as a site of a significant local, county, state or national event; 3) Its identification with a person or persons who significantly contributed to the development of the community, county, state or country; 4) Its embodiment of distinguishing characteristics of an architectural and/or landscape style valuable for the study of a period, type, method of construction or use of indigenous materials; 5) Its identification as the work of a master builder, designer, architect or landscape architect whose individual work has influenced the development of the community, county, state or country; 6) Its overall embodiment of elements of design, detailing materials or craftsmanship which renders it architecturally significant; 7) Its overall embodiment of design elements that make it structurally or architecturally innovative; 8) Its unique location of singular physical characteristics that makes it an established or familiar visual feature; 9) and/or Its character as a particularly fine or unique example of a utilitarian structure or group of such structures, including, but not limited to farmhouses, gas stations or other commercial structures, with a high level of integrity of architectural significance. 10) The site or structure also must have sufficient integrity of location, design materials and workmanship to make it worthy of preservation. This vote and consideration by the Commission means, of course, that we have begun the process of education that will help in preserving this landmark property, but much remains to be done. CBB will continue to work with other organizations and individuals to save the Frueh House, in accordance with its mission statement: Mission of Chicago Bauhaus & Beyond : Chicago Bauhaus & Beyond is a non-profit organization that celebrates and promotes 20th century Modernist architecture and design. The group‘s motto is “Preservation Through Appreciation“, noting that the most effective way to save landmarks for future generations is by ensuring that their ownership is in appreciative hands. CBB is raising awareness of lesser-known architectural innovators of the 20th century, in addition to famous, iconic names such as Mies van der Rohe, Keck + Keck, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, and others. Founding members encompass a diverse group of collectors, dealers, architects, designers, curators and enthusiasts. The group of more than 160 members was formed in 2004, in response to the need for a forum in which to gather information and communicate about architecture and design from the vastly creative 20th century Modernist era, which extended from the 1930s to the 1970s. CBB’s interests begin with the migration of the famed German Bauhaus school to Chicago (first as the New Bauhaus and later as the Institute of Design), and continue through the evolution of Modernism in the prolific post-WWII era and beyond. The group hosts social events, educational seminars and tours relating to modern aesthetics and design concepts, product design, graphic design, arts, crafts and architecture. The group’s Website includes photos from previous events and a calendar of upcoming events at www.chicagobauhausbeyond.org.