More details on purchase of the Blue White House

Photo by Dennis Rodkin

Last month I wrote about this so-called blue White House @ 8401 S. Michigan in fact the first blog update on this big old house in years. Chicago Magazine wrote about this place over 5 years ago and finally has an update:

An unusual, quasi-presidential property on the South Side sold for $400,000 last week.

The “blue White House” is a 7,900-square-foot, ivory-pillared manse in Chatham that closely resembles its big sister on Pennsylvania Avenue—save for a vivid robin’s-egg blue paint job.

“I wasn’t crazy about the blue brick,” says Karen Tolbert, who on January 22 closed the sale with her fiancé, Dana Hillard. “But when I walked in, I just fell in love with it.”

Tolbert says that at a gathering that night to celebrate the couple’s purchase, Hillard’s friends begged her not to alter the 50-year-old home’s exterior. Hillard had grown up just blocks away. Tolbert couldn’t say no. “It’s a staple in the community, so [painting is] something I won’t be doing,” she says.

What happened to the person who rehabbed this house and originally put it up for sale?

Shaunda Brown, a Chatham resident who told Chicago she had admired the house as a child, purchased it that year and embarked on a $400,000 gut rehab, revamping the interior with granite countertops and hardwood floors, converting an old smoking room into a media room, and transforming a former ballroom into a spacious master bedroom.

Brown tried to sell the property in 2010 for $1 million. No one bit.

Foreclosure proceedings began in 2014, and by October 2015 the house was back on the market, its previous price slashed in half, to $425,000.

I hope that Tolbert gets a landmark designation for this unique home and that more will be know about the history of this home. Especially the people who originally built this house with the unique blue Italian brick.

So whatever happened to that Blue White House in Chatham?

A Chicago magazine article from 5 years ago surfaced on FB discussing the blue White House replica in Chatham located at 8401 S. Michigan. The house had been for sale at prices approaching $1 million dollars.

I decided to find any photos on instagram for this house and found one from an instagrammer named marquisdefacade who took a more recent shot (3 weeks ago) of this residence that showed the doors boarded up. Then found information on this house and current status in which it was found that the house sold this month for $400,000.

So the people who helped to redevelop this house had to have taken a loss. It surely didn't take $400K just to rehab this home.

Either way glad to see that someone has bought the home now here's hoping they can give this unique residence the tender loving care that it deserves.

Related 

• Question - Where am I...?
• Curbed Chicago: A replica of the White House only blue
• Chicagoist: It's New to Us: Sky Blue "White House" Replica in Chatham
• Follow-up: Wreckage - waste of a once-beautiful building
•  Want another look at the blue White House replica in our community? 
• The blue "White House" is back....  

UPDATE:Concerned Citizens of Chatham: Shooting on 84th/King Drive

Update: I was informed by my neighbor that the young man who shot and killed on Sunday was one of our neighbors. The young man who the newspaper stated lived in Woodlawn has been living in Chatham for the past several months. He has been living with grandmother on  82nd Vernon. I know the young man, and he spoke on a regular basis, but have no knowledge of his past. Per the family, he and two cousins were walking to 87th street to catch the bus when they were ambushed by two men who came out of the side drive between two homes. The three young men ran as guns were pulled but unfortunately only the two got away.

[VIDEO] This incident already makes this the 11th homicide and 10th fatal shooting of 2013. It happened right in the Chatham neighborhood and Worlee shared a statement from a local leader - Rev. Dr. Marc Robertson:

Tragedy has hit the heart of our community once again. This evening as I was coming home. I saw police cars everywhere within the blocks of 84th and 85th street and King Drive on the west side of the street. As I got closer, I pulled over and noticed a young boy lying dead in the front yard of someone's home. An eyewitness told me that the kid who shot the other kid then jumped on the bus going North bound on King Drive. My people! When will this madness stop? I will be the first to say that this is a direct result of the dysfunction within our homes and young boys growing up fatherless. Wake up !!! This happened around 7:00 p.m, Sunday, January 5, 2013. This is the introduction of what to expect this summer in our community? We must learn to work together and get rid of egos, insecurities, jealousy and envy because our community is falling a part.

A 19-year-old young man cut down near 84th & King Drive. The fact that this happened is utterly shocking! I wonder if Rev. Robertson's comments is point the fingers at the leaders of our communities. He must be asking for direction & communication.

Concerned Citizens of Chatham: Shooting on 84th/King Drive

[VIDEO] This incident already makes this the 11th homicide and 10th fatal shooting of 2013. It happened right in the Chatham neighborhood and Worlee shared a statement from a local leader - Rev. Dr. Marc Robertson:

Tragedy has hit the heart of our community once again. This evening as I was coming home. I saw police cars everywhere within the blocks of 84th and 85th street and King Drive on the west side of the street. As I got closer, I pulled over and noticed a young boy lying dead in the front yard of someone's home. An eyewitness told me that the kid who shot the other kid then jumped on the bus going North bound on King Drive. My people! When will this madness stop? I will be the first to say that this is a direct result of the dysfunction within our homes and young boys growing up fatherless. Wake up !!! This happened around 7:00 p.m, Sunday, January 5, 2013. This is the introduction of what to expect this summer in our community? We must learn to work together and get rid of egos, insecurities, jealousy and envy because our community is falling a part.

A 19-year-old young man cut down near 84th & King Drive. The fact that this happened is utterly shocking! I wonder if Rev. Robertson's comments is point the fingers at the leaders of our communities. He must be asking for direction & communication.

The blue "White House" is back....

This time as one of four of other White House replica homes around the country and this is the write-up courtesy of Yahoo! Real Estate for this home located at 8401 S. Michigan Avenue in Chatham:

Slightly less expensive, at $899,900, is a Chicago variation on the White House theme. It has the distinctive two-story portico and columns, and some of its trim work has federalist touches.

It's also blue.

Shaunda Brown, an agent for Bradley Myles Realty, has lived in the house in the Chatham neighborhood on the city's South Side for six years and listed it for sale in September 2010.

"I don't know why the builder went for that look, but it was built as a copy of the White House," she said of the original owner, who constructed the home in 1966. "It was in poor condition, so I did a complete rehab."

Brown didn't buy it for the portico, etc., she said.

"I don't know why they picked blue brick," she said. "I wasn't truly crazy about that, but I later found out the bricks had been imported from Italy. I do like the pillars."

She said the house's White House look is both a plus and a minus. For one thing, everybody knows the house. Just recently, she said, she was talking by phone to a help-desk technician who said he was in Kalamazoo, Mich., but had spent time in Chatham in the past.

"He said, 'I remember there was this huge blue, brick house,'" Brown said.

Although that struck her as funny, she'd prefer the house to be less prominent.

"I'm not crazy about the fact that everybody knows the house and wants to know who you are and what you do (if you live in it)," she said.

This home has been featured several times on this blog. It had also been featured on Curbed Chicago as well. Check out this post with a video tour that was posted here on the blog back in March.

Hat-tip John Ruberry!

Reminder: Greater Chatham Alliance meeting this Saturday

Saturday, October 15
11:00 a.m. - 1 p.m.
St. James Lutheran Church
8000 S. Michigan

Agenda items include (from the GCA e-mail):

Milburn Alternative School at St. Clotilde
Many of  you are aware about the Alternative school at St. Clotilde. Well, our guest speaker on Saturday is the Chicago Public School's Deputy-Chief of  Alternative Schools. We are sure you have lots of questions to ask her. See Alderman Sawyer's letter if you need more details on the school situation.


Proposed Mega Pawn Shop For 87th St.
Now we have another issue regarding a company called EZCORP Inc., a publicly traded company located in Austin,  Texas.

They want to redevelop the former Chatham Pancake  House, at 700 E. 87th St., into a mega-size pawnshop  called EZPAWN. And GCA wants to hear what you think about that?


The Black Caucus' (Chicago Aldermen) Proposed Ward Remapping for the 6th Ward
The Black Caucus' proposed ward remapping is currently in draft stage. But we do know this: the Caucus is recommending that 6th Ward communities--south of 87th street--like Chesterfield, West Chesterfield and Roseland Heights, plus Chicago State University, be placed in Alderman Beale's 9th Ward community.So we ask is this really about being more equitable in ward redistricting in Chicago? Or is this more about diluting the 6th Ward's strength as a group of communities.

For more information, email: gcahonor@sbcglobal.net  or call 773.635.6500 for more info

An additional note, just came in yesterday:

In addition to Jennifer D. Vidis, Deputy-Chief of Alternative Schools from the Chicago Public
Schools, attending our meeting, we have been notified today that Calista Winford, the principal of the Milburn Alternative School at St. Clotilde will also be in attendance.

As always, we want to conduct our meeting in a structured, serious manner. So we will ask the audience to submit written questions.
GCA knows that our audience won't hold punches and will ask the serious questions.

We encourage that!
However, if you would like to bring your question(s) for early submission, please print them out.

Please let us know what you hear at the meeting (if you attend), or what questions/solutions you have...

CAPCC To CPS- Richard Milburn Alternative High School Must Go!

This was the message that Keith Tate, President of the Chatham Avalon Park Community Council (CAPCC) told Chicago Public School(CPS) representative Jennifer Vidis, Deputy Director of Alternative Schools. While the focus of the meeting was to be on EZ Pawn, who decided not to attend the meeting, Roderick Sawyer, Alderman of the 6th ward invited Mrs. Vidis to come out and address the community. The uproar started last month when resident living near St. Clotilde Catholic Church (http://www.stclotildechurch.com/)noticed moving trucks full of supplies unloading these goods in the former elementary school. When they asked questions, they were rudely told by St. Clotilde and Milburn representatives it was none of their business. When the regular school schedule started they saw buses unloading students. Numerous attempts by residents and community organizations to find out information about this school went unanswered and finally when Alderman Sawyer inquired it was stated it was an alternative "safe" school for student ranging from the 6-12 grades who had been expelled from Chicago Public Schools (http://www.cps.edu/) who could be reinstated if they showed improvement in their behavior. Questions arose as to why the community wasn't notified by CPS, Chicago Archdioces( http://www.archchicago.org/)and St. Clotilde parish. Also, the community had questions about the students and the reason some were expelled because they noticed the school had armed security guards. CPS and the school's principal reached out to the Alderman after the story showed up on television and newspapers. The answers CPS gave were unacceptable to the community and they decided to send Ms. Vidis out to address the community's concerns. The Chicago Archdioces and St. Clotilde parish have yet to respond to numerous inquiries. Ms. Vidis was greeted by Mr. Tate with a straight forward and direct opening stating his displeasure with CPS, Chicago Archdioces, St. Clotilde parish over this matter. Mr. Tate stated CPS and Milburn's offer to create a community advisory council was far too little and way to late because this was something that should have been handled prior to the school's opening. Ms. Vidis stated that the CPS is mandated under State law to provide these young adults an education. A decision to move Milburn from the former Holy Angel's facility, because of health and safety concerns, were known back in early July. She further stated that the Chicago Archdioces offered Milburn the St. Clotilde location. These answers just fueled the anger of the crowd. Questions and comments from the audience ranged from the lack of disclosure from the Milburn, CPS and Archdioces parties who knew Milburn had to move from the former location. Also, that there have been allegations of residents witnessing a student engaging in indecent exposure and another skipping school. Also, it was asked why other Alternative and Charter Schools in the area such as Sullivan House,Charles Houston and Gary Comer locations were not considered. Ms. Vidis stated these students were not eligible to attend these schools because they were expelled from the CPS system and these schools are considered CPS schools. Also, Milburn won a competitive bidding process to offer this type of schooling. Per Milburn's website http://milburnschools.org/ they do not operate any other schools in Illinois. Lastly, after the call to void the Milburn contract and move the school, Ms. Vidis stated she would go back and speak with CPS legal counsel about the matter and would attempt to come up with some solutions to address the community's concerns. Also, the Chicago Police Department attended the meeting to address concerns over the violence that occurred this past weekend. A call by CAPCC to have the Chicago Public Library build a 15,000 sq ft building versus a 16,500 one and a half story building was brought up again. The final topic was cadidates introductions. Kari Steele stated she is runing for Water Reclamation District Commissioner. Two candidates made it public that they were running for 34th District State Representative seat that is being vacated by Constance Howard. Elgie Sims and Sondra Wortham both stated that they are in the running for the office and they join Paul Gregoire and Richard Wooten. The only question now is will Ms. Vidis come back out to Chatham for the Greater Chatham Alliance meeting and answer questions for those residents.

An Open Letter to the Community about St. Clotilde School

St. Clotilde Catholic Church at 8430 S. Calumet has recently caused a community stir by housing an altnertive school that started this year, without the community knowing about it.

Here is the link from Aldereman Sawyer's office: An Open Letter to the Community about St. Clotilde School

And the letter...

Dear Community,


In recent weeks there has been legitimate concern in the community about a new school that has moved into St. Clotilde on the 8400 Block of South Calumet. I have reached out to the church, school and community leaders to do an investigation into this project, and I am writing this letter to provide you with some information about how this school came to our community.


For those who are unfamiliar, it is the Richard Milbourn School, an “Alternative Safe” educational facility that accepts students from the 6-12th grades. An Alternative Safe school is a school for students who have been expelled from their primary school, but have not yet exhausted their options for returning to their home school. This facility keeps these students anywhere between 45 days and 2 years. The school had approximately 35 students when I met with the Administrator on September 12th, and can potentially house as many as 115 students. The middle school aged students are bused to and from the school and the high school age students must take public transportation to get to the school. Security officials are posted at the bus stops in the morning and afternoon, escorting students to and from school. The Administrator understands the concerns of the neighborhood, and the school administration seems well meaning in their attempts to mitigate issues in the community.


My concern, however, is in the process that was used to bring the school into the area. This school was placed in this building by the administration of St. Clotilde and the Chicago Public Schools without any consultation with the neighbors or with my office. This is disrespectful to the community and shows a complete lack of regard for the legitimate concerns of a neighborhood to opening this school in a residential neighborhood. This is not an attempt to demonize children who have made a mistake; however, there are legitimate questions about filling what was traditionally an elementary school with high school aged students. There are legitimate concerns about having teenagers take public transportation to a school that is multiple blocks from most sources of public transportation. The process that was used in installing this school ignored all of those legitimate concerns in the neighborhood.


I hope that this is not indicative of the level of cooperation we can expect from the Emanuel and Brizard administrations. I want to be partners in improving both our schools and our children, but that requires collaboration with teachers, parents, government and the community. I am asking my Chatham neighbors to keep an eye out on this school and let us know if they are being good neighbors. I would also encourage those who want to assist the school in their goal of placing these students on the right path to visit the school and offer your assistance. They have pledged to maintain an open door policy and work with the community, and I intend to hold them to that vow. The city had a poor process for placing the school in our neighborhood, but we will not allow the school to remain in our neighborhood if it actually results in problems in our community, and for that, you are my eyes and ears.


Sincerely,


The Honorable Roderick T. Sawyer
Alderman, 6th Ward

The school has been turned over at least twice (St. Clotilde had their own school. When i moved ito the neighborhood a couple of years ago, there was New Way Christian School, which since folded). As I have walked by the church several times, I have noted just how empty and inactive it is, though having a block to work with (including a huge parking lot). I can see how desperate the church may be to have some income to maintain the property. What was the church like in its "glory days", and what happened to the people who enlivened it then?

Taste of Park Manor TODAY

Park Manor Christian Church is holding another summer festival on their property at 84th & King Drive, TODAY, from 10am -6pm. (This is in addition to their church at 600 East 73rd Street, Chicago, IL 60619, which would explain why Taste of Park Manor is being held in Chatham)

They have gone through many troubles over the years, including a fire that destroyed the property at King, as well as losing their pastor, James Demus, last year.

With the heat, I wonder how many will be able to attend.  While they have recently gained a new interim pastor, Crystal Chinn, according to their new Facebook page, it may be some time before they can realize their dream of a new sanctuary/day care/community center (if ever).

In the meantime, area organizations should consider connecting with Park Manor to share in sponsoring the festival.  There is plenty of room for parking.

Also, would anyone know the possibility of getting funds for a temporary community garden in the summer and/or an ice rink the winter?

Before the Dan Ryan was built...

From the FB group Forgotten Chicago which is connected with the website of the same name.

CTA "Green Hornet" PCC 7113 on route 36 short turn loop at 84th and State Streets.

Streetcar service in Chicago ended on June 22, 1958. There is no date provided with this picture.

Want another look at the blue White House replica in our community?

[VIDEO] Dennis Rodkin of Chicago Magazine takes a tour of the mansion @ 8401 S. Michigan.

The Property: In 1966, a couple named Smith built their homage to the White House—only they used imported blue Italian brick. The home has long been a landmark in Chatham, known for its Georgian porch and pillars, its bright blue walls, and its size: the place is about 7,900 square feet, compared to about 1,000 to 1,200 feet for the smaller brick residences that surround it.

By 2003, both the Smiths had died (I can’t determine their first names), and an heir was living in the seriously declining home. Shaunda Brown, who had grown up nearby and remembered admiring the blue house as a girl, bought the place with her then-husband and undertook a thorough renovation of the interior. Her “before” photos show ceilings and walls falling apart and a decrepit kitchen.

Brown redid the entire interior, and it now exudes a wood-toned warmth that begins at the paneled wainscoting in the foyer and extends through the spacious kitchen and the two-story living room. The home’s onetime ballroom has been converted into a gigantic second-floor master bedroom, while a former smoking room (off the living room) is now a very large family room/media room. Other spaces are big, too: there is a huge breakfast room next to the kitchen, and one of the children’s second-floor bedrooms was once the master bedroom, with its own bath. In all, there are four bedrooms (two are much smaller than the ones I’ve mentioned), as well as an office.

Also how much did it take to remodel this mansion:

Brown first put the house on the market in September, asking $1 million. She says her present asking price is about equal to her total investment in it—she and her then-husband paid $515,000 for the home in 2003 and put approximately $400,000 into rehabbing it. The smaller homes in the neighborhood generally run from the upper $100,000s to the lower $200,000s, and larger custom homes generally top out in the lower $400,000s. “I know what I’m dealing with,” Brown says. “Most people looking in this price range aren’t looking in this neighborhood.” There’s always the draw of living half a block from former U.S. senator Roland Burris, whose house once belonged to the gospel-music great Mahalia Jackson.

I'm sure the agent/owner Shaundra Brown would have no problem with us sharing her phone number with you, in case you may want this building: 773.570.4171. You know I wish there were some before pictures available just to see the evolution of this home.

Via Curbed Chicago! 

RELATED POSTS

• Question - Where am I...?
• Curbed Chicago: A replica of the White House only blue
• Chicagoist: It's New to Us: Sky Blue "White House" Replica in Chatham
• Follow-up: Wreckage - waste of a once-beautiful building

Follow-up: Wreckage - waste of a once-beautiful building

Curbed Chicago and Chicagoist got to talking about the blue "White House" replica at 8401 S. Michigan Ave. Now it's time to revisit this home that JP Paulus wrote about in May 2010 at 74th & Indiana. Worlee mentioned on at least two occasions that there were a connection between them. He especially wrote a comment about this home in JP's post:

This was a beautiful home and can be again. There is interest in the property but the last information I received was this property and the mansion at 84th michigan were tied up in an estate battle. That has been a couple of years so I do not know if it has been settled at this point.

I posted a link to this post on the FB page in December of last year and it sparked a couple of more comments in JP's post, but also on the FB page itself. And a recent comment about the blue version of the "White House" from Worlee on the page reminded me of this property. Although he used a different intersection I'm guessing he's referring to this property. He says this property and the blue "White House" are owned by the same people. Although I'm uncertain if he's referring to either the estate battle or the real estate agent who in fact owns the home near 84th & Michigan.

I would like to reiterate JP's question. At that very least what is the background of those who have owned these homes?

Chicagoist: It's New to Us: Sky Blue "White House" Replica in Chatham

Chicagoist on the blue "White House replica". It's placed in quotation marks because they just don't see the resemblance. They linked to JP's original "Where am I?"  post on this mansion from last summer. At least the publicity of this home is spreading. :P

We did a post bouncing off of a Curbed Chicago post last week as well.

The Taste of Park Manor in Chatham

The Taste of Park Manor Christian Church will be on Saturday July 24, 2010 at 10:00am -6:oo pm. at their site on 83rd-84th King Drive. I guess the proceeds will go to pay for the proposed new building seen above.

Sleep out at Cole Park - Friday August 20th

Ald. Lyle was on the Garrard McClendon Live Show on CLTV on Thursday, July 22. She was being interviewed regarding the latest police slaying. During that time she mentioned a community sleepover being planned. Basically , neighborhood residents staying in the park, like camping, and taking it back for the community.

The date is Friday night, August 20th at Cole Park , 85th & King Drive.

When I mentioned this to my wife, her immediate reaction was to shake her head and say no. Anyone else facing this problem -- of wanting to be involved, but being shut down by people close to you? I wish i could get my daughter out...i just might go by myself if i have to.

We could use an event like that at Ruggles Playlot, just to stave off the alcoholics and gangbangers ruining the park

One other footnote -- I think Garrard McClendon Live is a great show, and I'd love the opportunity to pursuade Garrard and his family to move to our area. People like him, who provided the best reaction to the worst circumstance, is a great community leader, and would be an absolute asset here. I'd love to have him as a neighbor!

= What happened to the new Park Manor Christian Church...?

Early last year, Pastor James Demus presented at a 6th ward meeting the plans for a new building for Park Manor Christian Church, to be located at 84th & King Drive.


Their earlier work was destroyed, but seemed on the road to rebuilding, with a sign noting the church.



Walking home from the Wortham prayer vigil 3 weeks ago , i noticed that the sign was removed.

Anyone know what's going on (or not going on)? Is this project going to happen? Or do they need to sell the land to someone else?

Also -- will they have another "Taste of Park Manor"? If so, I hope they check out our review and suggestions for this upcoming year.

Please let us know...

Off-duty cop wounded during apparent armed robbery

From the Sun Times

An off-duty Chicago Police officer was shot late Wednesday during an apparent armed robbery, police said. Two other people were reportedly wounded.

The off-duty officer was shot about 10:30 p.m. in the 8400 block of South King Drive, police said. The shooting appears to be an armed robbery.

Chicago Police requested State Police assistance in locating the maroon Nissan Maxima involved in the shooting. The car was last seen heading northbound on the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-94), Illinois State Police Master Sgt. Anthony Hoop said.

He said three people were wounded in the shooting.


The gunman fled in the car westbound on 83rd Street, where it entered the northbound lanes of the Dan Ryan Expressway, Hoop said.

State Police notified their units, but have yet to spot a matching vehicle as of 11:30 p.m., Hoop said.

Read the entire story at http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/2295786,off-duty-cop-hurt-police-shooting-051910.article

CRIME ALERT 4 of 4 = from Greater Chatham Alliance

Last alert on a recent e-mail for Greater Chatham Alliance.

There is a suspicious African-American man lurking in the area from 81st to 84th Street recently in the last week and a half. He seems to be carrying some sort of package. He is dark, medium built and about 6 feet tall. He was last seen wearing all grey.

People, the probability is that he is pretending to be a delivery person. If you see him, call the police. If he rings your doorbell, don't answer it.