January 27, 2022
I’m guessing that most neighbors are familiar with 4137 N. Dickinson Ave. – the 3 story house with tall stained glass windows, an arch/portico over the driveway, and an apartment above the brick garage – not typical for our neighborhood.
I have often heard this house referred to as the “Dickinson Mansion” and that the Dickinson family built this as their home. Therefore, I thought the history of this house was worth investigating.
Step 1: Check the 1924 Sanborn map.
Step 2: Try to find the building permit.
What we see on the permit is that a person named A.E. Malachowski pulled the permit as the owner. The architect was A.A. John. The builder was not defined. The cost to build the house was estimated at $32,000 and it was completed around February of 1925.
Redfin and Zillow show that this house was built in 1928. As usual, the build date on real estate web sites is often wrong.
Step 3: Check the real estate records.
On June 6, 1924, a warranty deed was issued for the lots matching the address to Stella Malachowski and then a mortgage on September 25, 1924. The timeframe aligns with the permit date.
Step 4: Review the census records.
There are no entries for the address in the 1910 or 1920 US Census. The 1930 US Census shows the residents for that address as Anthony Malachowski and family. Anthony’s occupation is Physician – General Practice. One can assume that the Malachowski’s had been living there since the house was built in mid 1925. The additional residents, the Zara family, occupy the “rear” at that address and are not paying any rent. Andrew Zara’s occupation is Caretaker – Private Family.
It was worth checking to see if the Malachowskis were still living here in 1940. Surprisingly, they are not. Not only that, the census shows 4 renters now for this property. An additional building permit search shows a permit for “Alterations” on March 24, 1939. I think it is safe to assume that the house was being busted up into apartments at this time. I wanted to review the real estate transactions for this time period but I had not pulled the ledger pages beyond 1931 so it’s not clear who initiated this work.
More Interesting Information
Beyond the history of a property, I become intrigued by the people, so I researched A. E. Malachowski, the original owner and person who had this house built.
I did find Dr. Malachowski and family living at 2065 N. Hoyne on the 1910 and 1920 US Census. In 1940, I found him living at 2925 W. Logan Blvd. as owner of the house, along with an additional rental unit. He died in 1952. After reading his obituary, I noticed the surname of his wife’s family and remembered seeing it in other records. So, off on another tangent…
The House Next Door – 4141 N. Dickinson
I noticed the next address on the 1930 Census, 4141 N. Dickinson was occupied by Anthony E. Kozie and family (same family members listed in the doctor’s obit). However, they were renters, not owners. When I found the building permit, however, it shows Anton Kozakiewicz as the owner. The permit was pulled just a few days after 4137 N. Dickinson. I have not pulled the real estate records for this lot to see who actually purchased it. It may be that the Doctor also bought the lot next door to 4137, built the house, and rented it to his wife’s family.
Strange Coincidence
When I looked up the current real estate records for 4141 N. Dickinson. I see that Alfredo Estrada purchased the house in 2018. Well, Alfredo Estrada is the person who bought and flipped my house (5035 W. Berteau) in 2013. I got to know Alfredo quite well during my house purchase. He certainly has done rehab on this 4141 house (so many of the same elements as on my house). As of this article, I see the house is not listed for sale.
Conclusion
Although the lots for 4137 N. Dickinson Ave. originally belonged to and were sold by Arthur Dickinson, the house itself was not built by Arthur Dickinson, nor did the Dickinson family ever live in it.
Not the Dickinson Mansion, rather, the Mansion on Dickinson Avenue
At least that’s what I think!
Very interesting! I’m thankful for 2 things after enjoying this “tidbit”, namely 1) that so much historical information is accessible and 2) that there are individuals who enjoy searching out these tidbits and sharing them with others, like our Dickinson family. Thanks!
Thanks for the feedback!! I thought you would find this amusing!
Very good to know. Ever since Adrian O’Brien lived there it has been inhabited by suspect characters. A shame that it is in the shape it is in and would be great to see someone move in and bring it back to its previous glory. They had an open house years ago that Eva went to and even back then she said it was in need of a lot of work inside.
Cool house though.
The new owners, Diana and Ken Larson are very nice people. I believe restoration is their plan. You might know their dog, Peanut.
So interesting. As we’ve come to expect from you, Ruta, an amazingly thorough piece of research!