About the Dawes House

Evanston History Center
AT THE CHARLES GATES DAWES HOUSE
NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK
EVANSTON, ILLINOIS

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A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DAWES HOUSE
Click on the underlined terms to see definitions
The Dawes House was built in 1894-5 on a two-acre lakeshore site. Designed in the style of French chateaux by Henry Edwards-Ficken of New York, the massive three-and-a- half story structure has twenty-five rooms, six bedrooms, seven bathrooms and eleven fireplaces. In a report prepared by the American Association for State and Local History, researchers gave the following physcal description of the hip-roofed brick mansion:

"The Dawes House is constructed of varicolored orange and tan brick laid in Flemish bond comprised essentially of three hipped sections, with the roof of a small rear wing also hipped. Round, two-story towers rise at the front corners of the house, topped with conical roofs with small spires. Along each room's edge is a dark painted wooden box cornice and plain frieze with ornamental support brackets."

Other architectural details include irregular fenestration with an abundance of window openings enhanced by either stone lintels or surrounded by cut-stone quoins. The prominent front entrance is part of a one-story sandstone loggia type structure that fills the space between the two towers. An ornamental arch spans four folding wooden doors topped by a transom.
The interior of Dawes House incorporates several design elements in its plan, including a Louis XVI-style parlor, and a library, great hall and dining room incorporating elements of English Renaissance Revival styles (Tudor and Jacobean elements are present.) Much of the interior is paneled in oak, with the exception of mahogany-finished cherry wood in the library. Other highlights include ornamental plaster work on cornices and ceilings, marble mantel pieces, a massive open balustered oak stairway in the great hall and a musicians' gallery in the dining room.

The first floor is open to the public. The two parlors, formerly used as a reception room and a music room, now feature exhibitions. The library, dining room and great hall are furnished mostly with original Dawes pieces.

Exhibits are also featured on the second floor in the former manuscript room and master bedroom. Also on the second floor is a restored children's nursery. Other second floor rooms are used for offices by History Center staff. The third floor and basement are used as storage space for the History Center's collections.

The Dawes House was designated a national Historic Landmark in 1976.

To learn about the life of Charles Gates Dawes, please click here.

DAWES HOUSE FACTS

Built in 1894-95.
Estimated cost of material: $40,000, according to the building permit.
Purchase price of the land in 1888: $40,000.
Architect: Henry Edwards-Ficken, of New York.
Architectural Style: Chateauesque.
Original owner/occupant: Rev. Robert D. Sheppard D.D., Treasurer and Business Manager of Northwestern University and Garrett Biblical Institute.
Purchased from Sheppard by Charles G. Dawes in 1909 for $75,000.
House Description: Varicolored orange and tan brick exterior with red sandstone trim, three and one-half stories, ceramic tile (terra cotta) hip-roof.
Number of rooms: 25, with 6 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms and 12 fireplaces (11 of which survive).
First Floor: great hall, east parlor, west parlor, library, dining room, 1/2 bath, kitchen, day room and butler's pantry.
Second Floor: family and guest bedrooms, manuscript room, den, bathrooms.
Third Floor: four servants' bedrooms and bathrooms, ballroom with stage and dressing room, billiard room and storage rooms. (The third floor, which is used for storage, is not open to the public).
Coach House: The coach house is adjacent to the main house. It originally included four horse stalls, two cow stalls and servant's quarters on the second floor. It was designed by Clinton J. Warner and was built in 1892-93. The upstairs area is now rented as an apartment, and the lower level is used for storage.
The conservatory: Once attached to the main house, the conservatory was razed before 1960 due to structural problems. A greenhouse, once attached to the coach house, was razed in 1941.

The Dawes House on Film:

A few scenes in this new film were shot here.

Other Dawes Pages on this Site

Click here to be taken on a virtual tour of the Dawes House

Click here for Dawes House Frequently Asked Questions

Evanston History Center
225 Greenwood
Evanston, IL 60201
847-475-3410 (telephone) / 847-475-3599 (fax)

Website Comments to evanstonhs@northwestern.edu