Ingersoll-Blackwelder House at Open House Chicago

Visit one of the oldest homes in the Beverly Hills/Morgan Park community, located within the Ridge Historic District. The home's original (rear) portion dates to 1874 and was built for real estate magnate John Ingersoll. A Queen Anne style expansion was added the following decade for new owner Isaac Blackwelder, president of the then-independent Village of Morgan Park. His wife, Gertrude Blackwelder, was the first woman to cast a vote in Cook County. The main level’s elegant Victorian spaces are ideal for entertaining, the primary use for the house today at the discretion of the owners. The second level, meanwhile, preserves the rustic light-filled art studio of longtime owner Jack Simmerling. Some of the antiques and built-ins that remain in the home today are items salvaged by Simmerling from long-gone mansions on Prairie Avenue, in Englewood and other Chicago neighborhoods. Volunteer Docents can answer questions about the history of the house and community and provide information on this important Chicago resource. A 2025 contest helped choose a color palette for the eventual exterior restoration of the home. The winning submissions will be on display.