Celebrating Chicago Architect Clarence Hatzfeld/ Historic Illinois
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HISTORI C • ILLI NO IS Illinois Historic Preservation Agency • Division of Preservation Services • Vol. 34 • No. 3 • October 2011 C elebrating C hiCago a rChiteCt Clarence Hatzfeld Children sit on the lawn in front of the field house at Mayfair Park. Chicago architect Clarence Hatzfeld designed this and many other field houses in the city. Inset: This Hatzfeld-designed field house and attached pergolas was constructed in Independence Park. (Photos courtesy Chicago Park District Special Collections) —story on page 3 HISTORIC•ILLINOIS Historic Illinois (ISSN 0164–5293) is published bimonthly by the Illinois Historic TIMEPIE C E Preservation Agency, 1 Old State Capitol Plaza, Springfield, IL 62701-1512. Cynthia A. Fuener, Editor; Shanta Thoele, Circulation Manager; Evelyn R. Taylor, Chief of Publications. The publication of Historic Illinois has been financed in part with federal funds from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. However, the contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of the Interior nor does the mention of trade names constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the Department of the Interior. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Historic Illinois , Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, 1 Old State Capitol Plaza, Springfield, tep over the threshold of any of the IL 62701-1512. Sthree buildings owned by Frank Printed by authority of the State of Illinois. and Sophia Schlosser and be (1022833-4.1M–10-11). Periodicals postage transported to the early 1900s, when paid at Springfield, Illinois. the couple ran two businesses adjacent The program receives federal historic to their home in the Washington preservation fund assistance. The Historic County community of Okawville. Preservation Agency does not discriminate on Today known as the Schlosser the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or handicap in admission to, or treatment Complex, the house, harness shop, or employment in programs or activities in and laundry building portray the domestic and working life of a compliance with the Illinois Human Rights typical midwestern family. Act, the Illinois Constitution, the U. S. Civil While Sophia and her daughters ran a commercial laundry Rights Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation service that catered to the nearby mineral springs hotels, Frank was Act, as amended, and the U.S. Constitution. hard at work in his adjacent harness shop fashioning horse collars The Equal Employment Opportunity Officer and bridles. At the end of the day, the family walked the few steps is responsible for compliance and may be reached at 217-782-4836. to their frame house. The equipment that still stands in the laundry building tells the All public meetings conducted by the Historic story of a hardworking industrious mother and daughters, who Preservation Agency will be accessible to handicapped individuals in compliance with worked in sometimes unpleasant conditions and with rudimentary Executive Order #5 and pertinent state and equipment that made laundry a much more difficult task than it is federal laws, upon notification of the today. The harness shop next door looks much as it did the day anticipated attendance. Handicapped persons Frank Schlosser died in 1941. planning to attend and needing special The family possessed some of the finer things in life, from a accommodations should inform the Historic piano to a Victrola, to fine china and crystal. Perhaps every bit as Preservation Agency at least five days prior to the meeting by telephoning or writing illustrative as their “newest” acquisitions are the obsolete appliances Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, 1 Old they refused to discard, including an old cookstove (replaced by a State Capitol Plaza, Springfield, IL modern range) and a horse-drawn surrey (replaced by a 1917 62701-1512, phone 217-785-4674. TDD: Maxwell automobile) that had been placed in storage in the loft of 217-524-7128. the harness shop. While the Schlossers may have thought that THE ILLINOIS HISTORIC their lives were unremarkable, the intact virtual museum they left PRESERVATION AGENCY IS AN behind is nothing short of extraordinary.—CAF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. PAGE 2 OCTOBER 2011 An Overlooked Talent Chicaggoo Architect Clhicaago irs kneownn thcrouegho ut HHthe worldaa for ttzzffeelldd Cits architecture. For decades, popular and scholarly attention has focused on the work of the city’s best known historic architects—most notably Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Daniel H. Burnham. Often forgotten, though, are the noteworthy buildings throughout Chicago that were designed by talented architects who have received little attention. Clarence Hatzfeld (1873–1943) is among those who have been largely ignored, even though his work merits considerable attention. He produced hundreds of handsome Craftsman, Prairie, and Revival style houses, park field houses, Masonic temples, and commercial buildings in Chicago and other nearby communities. Hatzfeld displayed versatility in his work, which ranged from simple Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Hatzfeld was four-square residences to high-styled field houses and apartment buildings, one of which is pictured here. Hatzfeld referred to these buildings as having the son of a German immigrant father and an “powder puff” apartments, a term that is described in the sidebar on page 7. (continued on page 4) (Photo courtesy Chicago Park District Special Collections) Historic Illinois to End Thirty-Four-Year Run Last Issue to be Distributed in December or more than three decades, Historic Illinois has brought readers To our subscribers with issues remaining Fnews, commentary, and feature stories about historic preservation Those with issues left on their Historic Illinois in the Prairie State. We have published hundreds—thousands—of subscriptions will receive the Journal of Illinois stories about historic buildings, archaeological sites, and famous and History , the quarterly published by the Illinois not-so-famous Illinoisans. Many times our readers have told us that a Historic Preservation Agency. Those with one or particular story evoked memories of times gone by. Historic two issues of Historic Illinois remaining will preservation aims to keep the past vibrant, and I like to think that receive one issue of the Journal , those with three Historic Illinois helped those efforts. or four issues remaining will receive two issues of Now, after two years as assistant editor, four years as associate editor, the Journal , and so on. You can check the status and seventeen years as editor, I plan to retire in December, and I am of your subscription by examining the label on finishing the final issues of Historic Illinois , which will cease publication this magazine. It tells you how many issues of the with my retirement. Certainly the costs associated with print Journal you will receive. The Journal is published publications were considered in the decision, but so was recognition of in Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter issues. the volume of technical and historical information available on the If you already subscribe to the Journal of Internet. The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency has a strong Illinois History , your subscription will be presence on the Web ( www.IllinoisHistory.gov ), and the Preservation extended at the same ratio outlined above. If Services Division, which oversees the statewide historic preservation you have questions about your subscription, program, has placed a wealth of technical and educational materials contact Shanta Thoele at 217-524-6045 or online. The online collection will always be growing and changing. [email protected]. Comments and questions While I prepare the last issue, December 2011, I hope you will not related to your subscription should be addressed begin to explore the Internet to see for yourself that preservation is to editor Cindy Fuener at 217-785-7950 or alive and well in cyberspace.—CAF [email protected]. —CAF OCTOBER 2011 PAGE 3 American-born mother. When opened its membership to all firm for the Chicago Board of Clarence was a child, the family practicing architects, designers, and Education, where he was one of moved to Chicago, and his draftsmen. Hatzfeld’s rendering of a twenty draftsmen working under pharmacist father, Richard Hatzfeld, small library—entitled Crawford head architect William B. Mundie. soon owned a drug store in the Library—was published in the club’s Operating out of the Tribune North Side Lakeview neighborhood. annual exhibition catalog of 1897. Building at 143 Dearborn St., the Although a family scrapbook The following year, the club architectural division was open daily suggests that Clarence studied appointed Hatzfeld to its executive from 3 P.M. to 5 P.M. and on architecture at a university in and exhibition committees. At the Saturdays from 9 A.M. to 11 A.M. Chicago, his early architectural threshold of a new century, the club During off hours, the head architect training was under the tutelage of offered an exciting forum to many of was allowed to maintain a private Julius Huber, a graduate of the the city’s most talented young design practice, and Mundie ran a Polytechnic Institute in Munich, professionals who were exploring new successful firm with his partner, Germany. After working in the architectural forms and expressions. renowned architect William Le architectural office of his father, Hatzfeld served on committees with a Baron Jenney. Apparently, the John Paul Huber, Julius went on to number of aspiring designers who draftsmen were afforded the same establish his own practice in 1880. would make important contributions opportunity, because Hatzfeld, who Hatzfeld joined Julius Huber and to the burgeoning Prairie style of earned $25 per week from the Board was promoted to partner around architecture, including Henry of Education, opened his own 1899, and the firm became known Webster Tomlinson, Hermann von architectural office in Room 546 of as Julius Huber & Co. At that time, Holst, Birch Burdette Long, Robert the Tribune Building in 1902. Huber specialized in the design of Spencer Jr., Irving K.