Harald Marius Hansen was already a renowned architect and artist in Europe, but moved to Chicago presumably after the Great Fire turned Chicago into a tabula rasa -- (blank slate) for architects.

As an architecture and freehand drawing instructor at UIUC from 1871-1872, Hansen designed the first plan of the Illinois Industrial University grounds using University Hall as his starting point.

In 1886, Hansen designed twelve homes in an *L* shape on this block of West Eugenie and Wells Streets. Of those which survived the 1970s modernization movement, 164 is the most ornate as it was the architect's own home. These surviving five homes are designated as *Historically Significant* examples of the now rare Second Empire architectural style.

In that same year, Hansen designed The George A. Weiss house at 1428 N. State Pkwy., using pink Georgia marble, a material also seen in the two deluxe guest rooms of The Hansen House Mansion.

In 1896, Hansen designed 2843 N. Clark (now a futon store with its former glorious first floor facade replaced by store-front glass windows) and in 1905 an apartment building at 509-511 W Roscoe, with an almost-Art Deco front. There are two nearby clusters of his fine Queen Annes, ironically both with five homes remaining each on Clark St. and directly behind. There is also a stunning row of surviving Hansen homes on Astor Place.

Harald Marius Hansen died at his home Oct. 17, 1921. He was survived by his second wife Mathilda and three children -- Burton, Gunhilda and Carrie.

His youngest daughter Carrie lived in the house until 1960 when, now in her 80s, she sold the house to its long-time admirer, Dr. Kenneth Hildebrand, her supervisor and pastor of the Central Church of Chicago where Carrie was a Sunday school teacher.

Hansen's great grand-daughter Sarah has been a rich source of information on The Mansion, as has Burton's daughter who was 102 years old in July 2007, and other Hansen descendants. And many of them have stayed in The Hansen House Mansion!

Regarding the many fine stained glass windows, Orlando Giannini (1861-1928) and Fritz Hilgart (1869-1942) fabricated and designed many such windows. For example, they fabricated early Frank Lloyd Wright windows, such the 1902 bookcase windows in the Warren McArthur House and the back-lit exterior windows facing the Miro sculpture, of First United Methodist Church (Chicago Temple) 77 W. Washington. The firm continues to operate at 1359 N. Noble, a few blocks away.