HISTORIC PRESERVATION FOUNDATION OF THE FORTNIGHTLY ESTABLISHED IN 1998 November 2016 The Lathrop House LOWDOWN McKim, Mead & White drawing from the collection of the Chicago History Museum ROSE BUCKINGHAM SELFRIDGE— LOVER OF CULTURE, MUSIC & ARCHITECTURE By Judith Scholl Lee ose Buckingham Selfridge active in the family business, but Rose was a very successful property (Fortnightly 1904-1918) is one unfortunately died when Rose was owner and developer. In 1883 at age 23, Rof The Fortnightly’s more only four years old. She inherited a she (an unmarried woman!) purchased well-known members, thanks to the large amount of property and money land on Harper Avenue between 57th PBS Masterpiece Theater series from her family. and 59th Streets and hired architect Mr. Selfridge. Solon S. Beman to create Hyde Park’s In her teens, Rose traveled through first planned community—42 villas and Europe with her mother, studying artists’ cottages within a landscaped languages and music. She was said environment, which came to be known to be an extremely gifted harpist. In as the Rosalie Villas. Most of them are her 20s, her travels were exceptional! remarkably intact today. To Russia, Turkey, the Holy Land, Egypt, the Middle East, Greece, She married Harry Selfridge in 1890 Scandinavia, most of Europe and the when she was 30. They had three British Isles, always accompanied by daughters and two sons. One son died members of the family. Rose must as an infant. have been sensitive about her age, because she subtracted up to six years from her true birth date in some of her travel documents. Contemporaries said of her, “Rose Buckingham . was as lovely in mind as she was in body. I think, when Rose Buckingham Selfridge; she stood beside the Harp, which Photo Credit: glessnerhouseblogspot.com she played beautifully, she was an She was born Rosalie Amelia inspiration to those who saw her. Buckingham in Chicago on July 5, [She was] a great favorite in society 1860. Her grandfather had founded . .” They said she was a great beauty, the firm that built the first grain “oriental in appearance, her coloring elevator in Chicago and handled all rich and dark,” and “of strong nature and gentle feelings, with a quick Harry Gordon Selfridge; the grain warehousing for the Illinois Photo Credit: glessnerhouseblogspot.com Central Railroad. Rose’s father was perception and intelligent sympathy.” THE LATHROP HOUSE LOWDOWN 1 ROSE BUCKINGHAM SELFRIDGE (continued) Born in 1858, Harry grew up in that her greenhouses were filled with in May 1918 word arrived that Rose Jackson, Michigan. His father over 2000 different varieties of orchid. Buckingham Selfridge had died. She abandoned the family after the Civil had suddenly contracted pneumonia War. His mother struggled financially, Harry left Marshall Field’s in 1904, due to overwork and exposure working as a school teacher and and with business partners bought while caring for wounded soldiers. supplementing her income by painting the Chicago department store Her pallbearers were 8 American greeting cards. Harry and his mother Schlesinger & Meyer, including its doughboys and her bier was covered enjoyed each other’s company and landmark building designed by Louis with roses sent by the employees of lived together all their lives. Sullivan. Within a year, it was all sold the Selfridge store. to Carson Pirie Scott & Company Harry was an entrepreneurial go-getter for a great profit. Rose and Harry Always visionary, Rose and Harry from the age of 10. At 18 he moved lived fashionably on this immense had planned to build the largest castle to Chicago and worked 25 years at wealth. He retired, puttered around in the world at Hengistbury Head, a Marshall Field & Company where Harrose, bought a steam yacht, and mile-long stretch of beautiful Dorset he rose to become an executive. started playing golf. He became bored, cliffs. But with Rose’s death and the however, and on a trip to London Wall Street Crash of 1929, no part Both Rose and Harry loved houses and hatched an idea for a new store. was ever realized. Harry ended up fine architecture. In 1898 they moved Selfridge & Company opened in 1909. living with his eldest daughter and to 1430 North Lake Shore Drive. They died almost destitute in 1941. also built one of the first estates on They rented Lansdowne House on Lake Geneva, an imposing Mock Tudor Berkeley Square in central London, Rose Selfridge would have mansion called Harrose. (Rosalie Bay a huge house with eleven servants. on the lake is named after her.) It had Previous tenants included three prime visited Lathrop House as a everything—300 feet of lake frontage, ministers and William Waldorf Astor, personal friend of the magnificent views, an English Great the richest man in America at the time. Hall, a ballroom and a stage. In the Lathrops rather than as a ceiling and walls, a Moorish design Rose did not enjoy life in London. member of The Fortnightly, emblematic of luck was worked out She missed her home and family and which did not purchase the with the letter “S.” It could be seen returned to Chicago to see her sister from any angle in the house. Anna three or four times a year. When House until four years after in Chicago she attended Fortnightly her death. I like to think that meetings, and was very much a part of the Society. (She had been a member of as a lover of fine architec- the board before moving to London.) ture, a real estate developer, During the First World War the retrofitter, and modernizer, Selfridges rented Highcliffe Castle in Rose would have approved Dorset as their country estate. Rose used her building knowledge to fit the of The Fortnightly’s 94-year castle with modern bathrooms, steam stewardship of the House and central heating, and a modern kitchen. HPFF’s dedication to its She served as a Red Cross ambulance preservation. Harrose Hall, Lake Geneva, c. 1900 driver and with her daughters worked for the Red Cross at a nearby Photo Credit: glessnerhouseblogspot.com (Editor’s Note: This article is based on the Christchurch Hospital. In 1917 she longer presentation made by Judith Lee at opened a convalescent hospital for Harrose was also noted for its large The Fortnightly’s Opening Social Luncheon the American Soldiers on the greenhouses and extensive gardens. on September 8, 2016. The wonderful grounds of Highcliffe. Rose was particularly fond of growing original can be found on the ‘blog’ in the orchids. In 1903 the Chicago Tribune The Fortnightly as a body felt that it members’ area of The Fortnightly’s website.) lauded her accomplishments, noting had suffered its own war casualty when 2 THE LATHROP HOUSE LOWDOWN WALK MATCH CONTINUES—LET’S RAISE THE ROOF! By Jean Perkins, HPFF President We are now in the third year of the What will HPFF do with these funds? from year to year. Rather, they spike Walk Family Foundation’s generous Every dollar you give this year will in some years and are de minimis in five-year matching grant. Your “raise the roof!” Every dollar the others. HPFF’s goal is to be able to generosity ensured that we were able to Walk Foundation gives in match will make grants as requested every year, meet their challenges for the last two be placed in reserves to await large, even for projects that may cost half a years. Let’s keep the momentum going! future requests from The Fortnightly. million dollars or more. What’s this year’s challenge? “Raising The 2014 Reserve Study, funded by the You will receive the annual appeal the Roof”—that is, covering HPFF’s Walk Family, and The Fortnightly’s own letter in a month or so. Thank you for grant to The Fortnightly to cover the planning and projections indicate that everything you have already done. We costs of installing the new ballroom HPFF needs to raise roughly $180,000 hope you’ll continue to give! A little, roof. The Walk Family Foundation each year to meet future needs. a lot—it doesn’t matter. will match one-for-one every dollar donated to HPFF up to $102,500. As all homeowners know, a house’s capital needs don’t occur smoothly LATHROP HOUSE—A LIVING HOUSE MUSEUM? By Shelley Gorson, HPFF Treasurer & Former Chair of the Landmarks Illinois Board recently attended a Landmarks Blenheim Palace and Monet’s Giverny Richard H. Driehaus Preservation Illinois Preservation Snapshot lecture come to mind. Awards in 2014 in recognition of about the uncertain future of House its more than 90 years of preserving I I would argue that our own Helen Museums. It made me think about our the House. own Helen and Bryan Lathrop House and Bryan Lathrop House is an equally because some of the same questions important House. The Lathrop House But we cannot rest on our laurels. A for its future apply. essentially IS a house museum, except 124-year old home is costly to keep up that it is not open to the public at to Landmark standards. Every year A House Museum is a private home large. It is, however, open to groups new maintenance and repair challenges currently used as a museum, with that have an interest in architecture await: a new ballroom roof was installed, historically important architecture and preservation; they can make and the front windows were completely or owners, and often both. The arrangements for special tours. The redone this last summer for which furnishings and artifacts are generally House continues as a living slice of HPFF making a grant to The Fortnightly.