Francis J. Dewes House

Illinois, United States

Exterior only

Visible from the street; the inside is private.

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Built in 1896 on Chicago's West Wrightwood Avenue, the Francis J. Dewes House is a Central European Baroque Revival mansion commissioned by brewer Francis J. Dewes from architects Adolph Cudell and Arthur Hercz. The ornate single-family home reflects the wealth and aesthetic preferences of Chicago's late-nineteenth-century brewing elite. Designated a Chicago Landmark in 1974 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, the house has housed notable residents including Chuck Renslow and artist Dom Orejudos, whose studio occupied the third floor. Its adjacent neighbor, the home of Dewes's brother August, was similarly designated a Chicago Landmark in 2005, and paired commemorative plaques now stand on a pedestal before the Francis J. Dewes house.