Land, OH!

By Mark Loehrke
June 2022 View more Home

It’s not unusual to find an updated 120-year-old mansion in downtown Naperville’s historic district. But given demand in this tight area, most of those older structures—not to mention their far more prevalent teardown/megabuild brethren—have a tendency to gobble up every precious square inch of their respective lots. Not the case for this restored circa-1904 estate originally built by printing magnate John Bauer (and thus often referred to as the Bauer Mansion). The fourth and current owners—among many other upgrades since purchasing the home in 2014—added two adjoining parcels to bring the current grounds to a spacious and lushly landscaped 1.6 acres (complete with heated garden house and hen house).

Inside, the extensive restoration efforts include a primary suite featuring heated floors; a private coffee bar; a family-room addition with a retractable glass wall that opens to a bilevel deck and a full outdoor kitchen; a third-floor ballroom that has been converted into a massive recreation room; a kids’ bedroom with multiple play components—not to mention meticulously preserved original stained glass and decorative millwork throughout the home.        

“While it oozes on-trend sophisticated style, this is also a home with history, heart, and soul,” says listing agent Kristin Meadows of the Monarque Group. “It is a part of Naperville’s history, and the future owner will help carry that prestigious honor into the 21st century.” Speaking of prestige—the home is a finalist in HGTV’s Ultimate House Hunt 2022 in the Homes with a History category. Not too shabby.  

$2.95 million list price | 1520 N. Loomis St., Naperville

Photos courtesy of Rachael Ormond/Portraits of Home (interior) and Will Crews Lucrative Dynamics (exterior)