In May of 1885, John and Frances Glessner of Chicago solicited a dosign for a new dwelling from H. H. Richardson, an architect with his office in Brookline, Massachusetts. As Richardson was then the most prominent end highly regarded architect in America, end is today generally considered the greatest American architect of the 19th century, the innovative house he designed for the Gleasnera in the last year of his life, et the height of his inventive power, is usually interpreted as illustrating and confirming that excellence. The distinctive qualities of the designclerity, organization, repose, privacy and independence-have been recognized from the outset and have been the basis both for the acclaim end occasional criticism it has received.

While Richardaon received praise for his design, the Glesaners were assumed to be complaisant patrons willing to grant a great architect his opportunity. With the availability of the Glessners' journals and othermaterials it is possible to show that client and architect were equallyprepared and informed in their joint effort to create a durable, commodious and beautiful house. The Glessners began seriously to consider the importance of design in their family life in the 18708 when they formed a professional and personal relationship with Isaac E Scott, an architect and designer in Chicago. Scott designed a great deal of Eastlake styled furniture for the Glessmera for their house at 261 West Washington Boulevard in Chicago. [See Figure 1]. In addition to these activities, he also aided the Glesaners as they developed their taste. Frances and John read actively in the contemporary literature on architecture and the decorative arts.

Further, the Gleasners had established habits before they hired Richardson. Their two previous Chicago houses were on corner sites, as is the Prairie Avenue House, and their bedroom was on the first floor on West Washington as well as on Prairie Avenue. The Glesaners ate well. They gave musical evenings, necessitating, on West Washington, taking down their bed for more space for this sort of entertaining. In 18761hey began "a collection of bric-a-brac," and by the time they moved to Prairie Avenue they owned many prints and 2,800 books. The Glessners had established the patterns of their life, and this would be clear and detailed when they spoke to an architect. One of the central aspects of the preparation to commission a house was that John and Frances took an equal interest.

Before engaging Richardson. John Glessner took what his wife described as "walks among the architects." On a trip to New York, he interviewed, among others, McKim, Mead and White, R.H. Robertson and William Potter. The Glessnera even ordered plans from Potter, which arrived in Chicago at the same time that they were interviewing Richardson. When Richardson's plans were compared to Potter's the latter were rejected. Mrs. Richardson wrote of Potter: "his plans have given us some disappointment-not so convenient or so artistic as we had expected."

Contributions to the Design
The innovative is of the design-L-shaped bull on a corner site yielding a private courtyard, minimally windowed well along tile side street, intentionally simple and subtle ornament, remarkably clear and flexible plan-emerged as the result of the coincidence of Richardson's mature design ideas and the Glessnere' clear understanding of what they wanted. After their first interviews in Chicago, at Richardson's hotel, their home on West Washington, and in a visit to the site, Richardson asked the Glessnera "Have you courage to build the house without windows on the streetfront?" and when he went on to ask how they wished the house planned, Glesaner responded, "Oh no, Mr. Richardson, that would be me planning the house." Clearly, each respected the other. Client and architect cooperated in an interesting way when Richardson, spotting a photograph of Abingdon Abbey in England on one of the Gleasners' mantels, asked them if they liked it. He asked to borrow it, saying it would be the keynote for the design. The photograph of the Abbey he used is similar in character and feeling to the 18th Street facade of the house.

In April 1885, just prior to the rounds of interviews, Mrs. Glessner had read Viollet-le-Ihtc's The Story of a House, which had first been published in English in 1874. One observation in the book seems to have had direct influence. Viollet-le-Ihic wrote

Underground kitchens ere unhealthy for their occupants, are difficult to look after, end spread their odors through the ground floor. We will place it then, on the same floor with the dining-room, but not having direct communication with it, so as to avoid the smell and the noise.

The Glessner kitchen is on the first floor, separated from the dining room by a coppersinked butler's pantry. Later, when the Glessners were reviewing Ricahraon's plans in his office, Frances Glesaner observed that the servants' bedrooms lacked closets. Richardson declared, "Well, Madam, you don't need to have it that way," quickly adding closets (while distressing the Gleasners as his sketch was made directly on the beautifully drawn plans). Richardson had originally specified a rough cut pink marble for the exterior, but even here the Glessners thought better of the proposal, substituting a gray granite with a pinkish cast. Once John Glessner suggested that a contingency fund be planned for the budget of the building, but Richardson assured him that it would not be necessary, since he and his contractors were sufficiently experienced not to need a cushion of that sort. This was quite correct; the house came in precisely on budget.

As the two families became acquainted during the course of developing the design they became friends. In Boston the Glessners accompanied Richardson on a tour of his buildings there. While sitting in Trinity Church, a commission Richardson had won in competition in 1872, he observed that the congregation seemed pleased with his work. "Buttheyought not to be be,"hesaid. Think what I could do now." Richardson gave the Glessners photographs of his own library, located in the office wing of his house, where the Glessners often talked with him about their own house. [See Figure 2.] Richardson also introduced them to his neighbor, the landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Mrs. Glessner gave a gemstone to Richardson's son because of their shared interest.

John Glessner once wrote, "Richardson was a big man physically, mentally and in every other way. He was built on a generous, big scale: his height about six feet, his weight three hundred and seventy pounds, his brain as large in proportion to his body. He enjoyed thinking and doing things, but was big enough to embrace the small also. Before employing him I had heard that he would not build anything less than a monumental building, and when I told him so he said,'I'll build anything a man wants. I build a chicken coop, even, if I em wanted to. That's the way I make a living for my family.'" (from an unpublished manuscript by John Glessner,1914,the Chicago Architecture Foundation).

The end of the project grew bittersweet. Richardson knew he was dying, andwhenhe noted the location of the lighting fixtures for the Glessners he said to them, "If I were to live five yearn longer, that is the last thing I would do for your house: my part is finished." They were in Richardson's bedroom in Brookline, where his nephritic disease had finally confined him. Three weeks later, 28 April 1886, the Glessners received the telegram "Mr Richardson died last nite work will be carried on as before." It had been sent by George Shepley, who with Charles Cooolidge and Charles Rutan, formed Richardson's successor firm, carefully completing his projects.

Richardson and the Interior
The influence of Richardson's example and firm was also felt on the interior of Glessner House. As in other projects where they designed furniture, Charles Coolidge designed the arm and side chairs for the Glessners dining room. He designed the Glessners' large library table to resemble Richardson's own, including several large print drawers for the Glessners' collection. [See Figure 3.] Richardson himself had specified a cork lined alcove off the library to aid the Glessners in their habit of putting up and looking at prints before making a final selection for purchase. The mahogany case for the Glessners' Steinway piano was designed by Francis Bacon and made by the A. H. Davenport firm of Boston. Both were recommended to the Glesaners by Richardson.

On shopping trips to Boston, the Glessners were often accompanied by members of the office. Back in Chicago in December 1886, Shepley went along to advise when they selected rugs at Marshall Field's Department Store. One of these was the handsome William Morris carpet placed in the first floor living hall (and now in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago). In the initial decorative scheme for the living hall the Glessners used a William Morris fabric known as Peacock and Dragon for the portieres. Richardson had used the same pattern for the portieres in his library. In fact, Richardson had visited Morris in 1882, when he was on a European tour. It appears that Richardson's interest in the arts and crafts movement, especially as articulated by Morris, encouraged the Glessners to use Morris things throughout their house. Thus included fireplace tiles, fabrics for furniture, windows and doors, carpets wallpapers, furniture, and at a' , east one lamp. Close examination of the photographs the Glessners had made to document their West Washington Boulevard house reveal many pieces by Scott but nothing by Morris.

In subsequent years, when surfaces needed to be renewed, the Glessners continued to use Morris patterns, sometimes the same, sometimes different, showing that the Glessners, through their association with Richardson, had established the pattern for their future domestic life. As Viollet-le-Duc stated in The Story of a House,

the dwelling ought to be. for a manor his family, a garment made to measure; and that when a dwelling is in perfect accordance with the manner and habits of those who are sheltered beneath its roof, it is excellent.