European Furniture & Decorative Arts

Provenance:

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, Fine Furniture & Decorative Arts, 12 February 2012, Lot 810

Note:

The home located at 605 Iowa Street in Oak Park, Illinois, known today as Bishop's Hall, was originally built under the ownership of Dr. Edward G. Patera in 1916. A contemporary to the nearby Frank Lloyd Wright Historic District, the home was designed in the Georgian Revival style with an imposing symmetrical façade exhibiting keystone windows, a shallow hipped roof, and an overall horizontal emphasis.

After being inhabited by the Patera family for just one year, the home passed through the hands of multiple owners throughout the 20th century until it was purchased by The Midwest Diocese of the Orthodox Church in America in 1990. Intended for residency by the church's Chicago area bishop, whose living quarters and offices were located on the second floor of the house, the first and third floors were additionally utilized for Sunday services for Orthodox priests in the area and as an administrative space for the church. Although the exterior of the home was well-maintained (the façade has remained largely unaltered from its original state), the interior became institutional-looking under this ownership, until purchased by a new owner in 1998.

Under this ownership, the interior of the home was restored and re-decorated to match the Georgian exterior through an extensive renovation that included meticulous attention to architectural detail as well as the thoughtful curation of period furniture and decoration. Upon completion, the home was established as a bed and breakfast and named Bishop's Hall to commemorate the preceding owners. The business was sold in 2019 to the home's most recent owners, Richard Sander and Fiona Harrison, who continued to run the bed and breakfast operation until its recent closure. Many of the Georgian furnishings that adorned the halls of the home are offered throughout this auction.