Bungalows
See also: Houses, Apartment Buildings, Courtyard Buildings,
Chicago Bungalows in Rogers Park & West Ridge
The majority of Chicago Bungalows were built between 1910 and 1940. They were typically constructed from brick (sometimes in decorative patterns) and had one and a half stories. It’s been said that, at one point, nearly a third of the houses in the Chicago area were Bungalows. Like many other local homes, Chicago bungalows are relatively narrow, being an average of 20 feet wide on a standard 25-foot wide city lot.
A Chicago-style bungalow has a low-pitched roof and horizontal shape. In most bungalows, however, the older gable-front of the cottages was replaced with a "hipped" roof, meaning that the gable was slipped off and the front pitched down toward the street, often with a dormer. The resulting large overhang, in many cases, allowed for the incorporation of a large front porch or enclosed sunroom.
Many Bungalows in and near Chicago often included leaded glass windows, natural woodwork, ceramic tile, and other Craftsman details such as built-in cabinets, shelves, and seats. Floor plans were often identical with the public spaces—living, dining and kitchen—on one side of the building and small bedrooms on the other. With the living room at the center, the rest of the rooms connect without hallways.
The Chicago Bungalow was closely related to the standard two- or three-flat which was really conceptually just two or three bungalows piled on top of each other. There were also much more elaborate bungalows with considerably more sophisticated floor plans.
Launched by Mayor Richard M. Daley in September of 2000, the Historic Chicago Bungalow Initiative is designed to foster an appreciation of the Chicago Bungalow as a distinctive housing type, encourage sympathetic rehabilitation of Chicago bungalows, and assist bungalow owners with adapting their homes to current needs, which in turn helps to strengthen Chicago bungalow neighborhoods.
In 2001, the Rogers Park/West Ridge Historical Society conducted a house tour entitled “The Bungalows of West Ridge.” And in 2003, they held a house walk entitled “Historic Bungalows in West Rogers Park.” Several other house tours have included bungalows, but not exclusively. These tour booklets will be found on this website.
Rogers Park Bungalows
Albion Avenue
2600 Block
Arthur Avenue
1700 Block
Chase Avenue
1800 Block
Greenleaf Avenue
2100 Block
Juneway Terrace
1400 Block
Lunt Avenue
1900 Block
Paulina Street
7400 Block
West Ridge Bungalows
Artesian Avenue
6500 Block
Coyle Avenue
2500 Block
2600 Block
Estes Avenue
2200 Block
Farwell Avenue
2400 Block
2500 Block
2600 Block
Greenleaf Avenue
2200 Block
Lunt Avenue
2200 Block
2500 Block
Maplewood Avenue
6600 Block
6700 Block
Morse Avenue
2500 Block
Oakley Avenue
7200 Block
Pratt Boulevard
2200 Block
Rockwell Street
6700 Block
Talman Avenue
6500 Block
Photos of Bungalows in Rogers Park
RPWRHS photo S013-0309 shows a bungalow at 1715 W. Arthur Avenue in September 1979. No owner's name given.
RPWRHS photo S013-0347 shows a bungalow at 1703 W. Arthur Avenue in November 1981. No owner's name given.
RPWRHS photo S013-0348 shows the side view of a bungalow at 1703 W. Arthur Avenue in November 1981. No owner's name given.
RPWRHS photo S013-0310 shows a bungalow at 1855 W. Chase Avenue in September 1979. No owner name given.
Photos of Bungalows in West Ridge
RPWRHS photo S013-0337 shows the front door of a bungalow at 7220 N. Oakley Avenue. October 1980.
RPWRHS photo S013-0338 shows the side yard of a bungalow at 7220 N. Oakley Avenue in October 1980. No owner name given.
RPWRHS photo S013-0440 shows the home of Ashish and Colleen Taylor Sen at 2557 W. Farwell Avenue taken in 1988.
RPWRHS photo S013-0655 shows the bungalow owned by Ashish and Colleen Taylor Sen at 2557 W. Farwell Avenue in June 1984.
RPWRHS photo S013-0719 shows the bungalow owned by Ashish and Colleen Taylor Sen at 2557 W. Farwell Avenue in June 1984.
Photos of Bungalows missing information
RPWRHS photo S013-0120 shows a bungalow in a snow drift with a hydrant in front. February 1979. No address given. No owner's name given.