Historic Austin home that predates Great Chicago Fire, damaged in fire
An early morning fire damaged the historic Seth Warner home, one of Chicago’s earliest residences and the oldest home in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side.
Firefighters were alerted to the blaze at 631 N. Central Ave. around 1 a.m. Thursday, according to the Chicago Fire Department. A firefighter was taken to an area hospital as a precaution, but no other injuries were reported, authorities said. The cause of the fire was unknown.
The fire broke out on the top floors were it sustained fire, water and smoke damage, according to fire officials.
Hours after the fire, homeowner Cynthia Weaver told the Tribune she alerted her husband, James Bowers, after smelling smoke at the home.
The damage appeared confined to the upper floors and the owners were allowed to enter the structure in the afternoon.
While the full extent of the damage wasn’t immediately clear, the homeowners and local preservationists were hopeful of a full restoration.
“These landmarks — they are cornerstones of the community. It’s so important that they remain and we’re grateful that the house remains standing and the damage was really limited to the upper portions of the attic and the roof,” said Ward Miller, executive director of advocacy organization Preservation Chicago.
The Warner home is one of the rare Chicago structures that survived the Great Fire of 1871 and remains standing.
Constructed in 1869, the Italianate style home’s original owner was one of Chicago’s earliest residents — Seth Warner, who built the house beyond the city limits, so the fires didn’t reach as far west as the home. The structure was granted landmark status in 2022.
Warner, a blacksmith, abolitionist and one of the city’s first musicians, built a music center in downtown Chicago called Warner’s Hall, which once hosted a speech by fellow abolitionist and orator Frederick Douglass during his first visit here.
Warner’s activities “reflects Chicago’s abolitionist views before the Civil War,” Miller said. Now, along with the house, co-owned by civil rights attorney James Bowers, it appears the home’s tradition of ties to racial justice still stands.
Not only has the house held significance in the world of historical preservation — it has also served as a hub of community building and was the Austin Academy of Fine Arts, a music conservatory, for decades.
In the close-knit community, “most of the people who’ve been living here a while are aware that it’s a historical home,” neighbor Janie Williams said. Williams, having lived on the block since she was 5, recalled the home’s grand music room, where a previous owner allowed local children to come and play the piano.
Weaver said that when former neighborhood residents returned for visits, it is often with fond memories. “‘I used to pick my sister up here’ (one would say), others were dancers here,” she recalled.
Having purchased the house in the mid-1980s, Weaver and Bowers say they have nearly 38 years of memories in their home.
The avid antique collectors have worked to remodel the interior of the home to its original 1860s design, according to Weaver.
While they assume there was some loss of their collection, they are unaware of the amount of personal property damaged and the length of time repairs will take.
Miller said he was hopeful that any damages not covered by homeowner’s insurance, could be covered by the city’s Adopt A Landmark fund.
“We do have a Chicago landmark that suffered a tremendous fire today but it hasn’t undermined the structure of the house and (we’re) hoping for a complete restoration,” he said.
