Cottage plans from Chicago's World's Fair (houses, designs, wealthy)

[jbarthold]

My summer cottage plan was supposedly acquired at the Chicago World's Fair.
Did architects sell or give away their designs there? Where can I find a catalogue or listing of the Fair's many attractions? The rumor is Greene and Greene were the architects.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by jbarthold

My summer cottage plan was supposedly acquired at the Chicago World's Fair.
Did architects sell or give away their designs there? Where can I find a catalogue or listing of the Fair's many attractions? The rumor is Greene and Greene were the architects.

You might want to try the Chicago Architecture Foundation in the Loop. They may have some prints of the cottages somewhere in their archives.

If not, they'll be able to give you some ideas.


Chicago Architecture Foundation - Welcome - 312.922.3432

[sunnyandcloudydays]

Originally Posted by jbarthold

My summer cottage plan was supposedly acquired at the Chicago World's Fair.
Did architects sell or give away their designs there? Where can I find a catalogue or listing of the Fair's many attractions? The rumor is Greene and Greene were the architects.

Can you please elaborate on summer cottage plan?
Where is your location?
What year?

[Vlajos]

Huh?

[Attrill]

Greene and Greene were at the World's Fair, but I doubt they designed the cottage. They just stopped at the fair on their way to Pasadena, and had no professional involvement with it or any of the firms working on it. Also, that's pretty early in their careers (they hadn't even opened their own studio yet).

I think the most likely story is that the cottage plans were ones used to build cottages for visitors to the fair, or may have been plans for a kit house shown at the fair (although it seems a little early for kit houses).

I agree with Sunnyandcloudydays - more specific info would be helpful.

[sunnyandcloudydays]

Just wondering if the OP is talking what I would consider early 1900 lake cottages.
The lake cottages that u used to see at the michigan getaways and wisconsin get aways.

I remember my great grandfather had one up in michigan on a lake and it was nothing to write home about.
Long since gone since most lake props were gobbled up by wealthy individuals and then up went the mcmansions....
Traveling thru southern michigan you can still see the old style lake cottage albeit harder and harder to find.