Robert Todd Lincoln Mansion

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Robert Todd Lincoln Mansion
Life Span: 1886-1960
Location: 60 Lake Shore Drive, 1234 Lake Shore Drive
Architect: S, S. Beman

Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1887

Lincoln Robert T

Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1903
Lincoln Robert T (Isham, Lincoln & Beale) 718, 184 Lasalle h 60 Lake Shore dr

Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1906
Lincoln Robert T (Isham, Lincoln & Beale) 718, 184 Lasalle h 60 Lake Shore dr

Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1910
Lincoln Robt T, pres The Pullman Co 201 Pullman bldg h 1234 Lake Shore drive

Inter Ocean, April 25, 1886

Secretary Lincoln’s new house, to rise at Scott street and the lake shore drive, after Architect Beman’s plans, will be commenced in a short time.

Chicago Tribune, June 13, 1886

What Architect Beman Has on Hand—Costly Private Residences and Public Buildings.
S. S. Beman, who has gained fame as the architect of the Town of Pullman and the splendid Pullman office building, leaves tomorrow for a two-months’ trip abroad for rest. He will spend most of his time in Rome, being accompanied by Mrs. Beman. Judging from the amount of work now in hand and about to be commenced by him, he bas earned the respit he is about to take. Among the handsome residences now in course of construction after plans by him are the following:

For Robert Lincoln, a residence at the corner of the Lake-Spore drive and Scott street, material, red pressed brick, Portage brown stone, with a frontage of forty feet on the drive and depth of sixty-four feet on Scott street. The characteristic feature of the exterior is the two round bays under one roof, between the bays being a series of balconies looking toward the lake. A feature of the entrance on Scott street will be the red brick columns. In the basement are the kitchen, servants’ dining-room, laundry, store and boiler rooms. On the first floor are large hall, parlor, library, dining-room, butler’s pantry, lavatory, etc. On the second floor are four large bed-rooms and three bath rooms. On the third floor are six bed-rooms and bath-room. The first floor has a hard oil pine finish, and the stairway is of oak. It will cost $30,000.

Chicago Tribune, June 11, 1899

Residences of Lake Shore Drive.
The drive has played an important part In the history of Chicago. and nearly every important personage who has visited the city has been entertained in some one of the mansions which line it. To visitors to Chicago it has always been one of the most charming sights, and during the World’s Fair it attracted nearly as much attention among strangers as the fair itself.

The principal attraction of the drive, and the one that gives it precedence over the other park drives and boulevards, is the view of the lake, and to take that away from it, its residents say, almost would destroy that characteristic. The Lake Shore drive without the uninterrupted view of the lake would be like “Hamlet ” without Hamlet. The entire drive is but a mile long, and the expense of building some sort of barrier to the waves that would not interfere with the view, they insist, would be well worth the cost. There are other boulevards in the city, but there is not one where the lake is on one side and gardens on the other.

Robert T. Lincoln Mansion

Chicago Tribune, March 5, 1960

TODD LINCOLN HOME WILL BE RAZED
Haffa Gives Up Trying to Save Structure
By James M. Gavin
The former Robert Todd Lincoln mansion at 1234 Lake Shore dr. will be razed within four to six weeks, it was learned Friday. Robert Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln, built the 20 room mansion and lived in it with his family from 1893 to 1911.

Titus Haffa, wealthy manufacturer, bought the home in January, 1959, to save it from being wrecked and replaced by an apartment building. The city now has condemned the vacant home as unsafe because of work started in the initial wrecking plans. Vandals also have done considerable damage recently.

Chance for Relics
Haffa said that because of the condition of the building there is no point in renovation. He has delayed wrecking plans, however, to permit institutions, preferably charitable ones, and school children to obtain relics. The requests should be addressed to Titus Haffa or to his sister, Miss Pauline Haffa, The Lincoln mansion in care of the Cleveland Wrecking company, 3801 Milwaukee av.

No Present Plans
A spokesman for Haffa, who is out of the city, said there are no present plans for the site, on the northand Lake Shore drive. The west corner of Scott street S site extends westward to Stone street.

At the time of the purchase, Haffa said the price was about $175,000. He said he spent an additional $25,000 in legal fees and other costs in His effort to save the home fom destruction.

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