By Tim Moran
Villager Editor
The return of the Beverly Area Planning Association’s beloved Old House Lecture Series went off before a crowd of dozens of captivated Beverly/Morgan Park area residents inside the Beverly Arts Center’s Baffes Theater in late September. Attendees heard from guest speaker and architectural expert Carla Bruni of the Chicago Bungalow Association and author of the recently published book, “Chicago Homes: A Portrait of the City’s Everyday Architecture.”
“Carla’s lecture was a perfect kick off for the return of the old house lecture series,” said Michele McGuire, BAPA’s Community Relations Director. “It was so great to see some familiar faces fill the seats of the BAC to learn about the history of Chicago architecture.”
Many of the Old House Lecture attendees are owners of older homes in the neighborhood interested in making upgrades without sacrificing the homes’ historical significance. Bruni chatted with a number of them during a post-lecture book signing, offering advice to all homeowners who had specific questions.
“I like helping people in old homes maintain their homes,” Bruni said.
During the lecture, Bruni delivered a detailed presentation on her book, and included slides on the major eras that divided the chapters and discussed the different architectural styles and how they fit into the different eras throughout Chicago history.
A particular emphasis was placed on the bungalow-style home, including the progression of the different kinds of homes that have been defined as a bungalow over the years and the bungalow styles that have been most often seen in Chicago.
She helped define the “bungalow belt,” explaining that it runs mostly along the western edge of the city, although they can be spotted anywhere in Chicago.
“Bungalows are everywhere,” she said. “I’m not going to pretend there aren’t any near the lake because there are.”
McGuire said BAPA will be planning additional Old House Lecture Series talks in the near future.
“We are so grateful to Carla and the Chicago Bungalow Association for a wonderful night and we are looking forward to more old house lecture series programming that will be coming up in future months… stay tuned!”
