In 1836, hardware merchant Henry B. Clarke and his wife Caroline constructed an elegant Greek Revival-style home to replace their log cabin on 20 acres of land at what is now Michigan Avenue and 16th Street in Chicago. Nearly two centuries later, this historic residence still stands as the oldest house built within Chicago's original city limits, despite being relocated twice and facing potential demolition multiple times throughout its remarkable journey.
The Clarke house has earned the distinction of being Chicago's oldest surviving structure built within the city, though it competes with the Noble-Crippen-Seymour House in Norwood Park for historical significance. Built in 1833, the Noble-Crippen-Seymour House is actually three years older, but it was constructed well outside Chicago's city limits at the time, creating what locals describe as a friendly rivalry between the two landmarks.
The house's first major relocation occurred shortly after the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, when it was moved 3.5 miles south to 45th Street and Wabash Avenue. Although the structure was never threatened by the fire itself, as it stood well south of the Burnt District, the Clarke family sold it that same year to John and Lydia Chrimes. The new owners transported the entire 150-ton building to a more rural setting, where it remained outside the city until Chicago annexed Hyde Park Township in 1889.
For seven decades, the Chrimes family maintained ownership of the historic property. By the late 1930s, however, third-generation owners Lydia and Laura Walter, two sisters, could no longer afford the costly upkeep required for the century-old structure. Despite the house's recognition as the city's oldest, their attempts to convince city officials to take over the property were unsuccessful, leaving the landmark's future uncertain.
In 1941, Bishop Louis Henry Ford, a young minister in the Church of God in Christ who had migrated from Mississippi during the Great Migration, purchased the house from the Walter sisters to establish his church. Ford took the preservation responsibilities seriously, immediately installing a new roof, rebuilding the stairs, and reconstructing the rooftop cupola. The historic Clarke house became a parsonage as Ford developed a growing religious campus around it.
Bishop Ford had ambitious plans for the property beyond its religious use. As early as 1951, he was quoted in newspapers expressing his desire to eventually convert the house into a historical museum. In a 1969 interview with a Chicago Tribune reporter, Ford proudly described his preservation efforts, saying, "Who'd believe, up on the north shore and such places, that here, in the heart of the ghetto, grass is growing all around, and flowers. So many people think the black community is supposed to destroy everything."
Ford's vision finally became reality in the 1970s when his church sold the house to the city for use as the centerpiece of a proposed Prairie Avenue historical collection, located 32 blocks north of its second location. The complex relocation process took 12 days and required lifting the massive 150-ton structure over the Chicago Transit Authority's Green Line tracks. This second move brought the house back to within a few blocks of its original 1836 location.
Despite Bishop Ford's decades of careful restoration and his crucial role in saving the landmark from demolition, his contributions went largely unrecognized for half a century. His name was relegated to a small plaque in the basement, and even Chicago Tribune articles covering the 1977 move made no mention of Ford or his congregation's preservation efforts. Kevin Anthony Ford, the bishop's grandson and successor as pastor at St. Paul Church of God in Christ, said in 2021 that city officials had promised his grandfather that the church's role would be prominently highlighted.
"If it were not for a Black church, a Black pastor, my grandfather, Chicago wouldn't have this house anymore," Kevin Anthony Ford stated in 2021, emphasizing the overlooked significance of his grandfather's preservation work. The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events did not respond to requests for comment regarding the delayed recognition.
In November 2022, the Chicago City Council finally voted to acknowledge Bishop Ford's vital contributions by officially renaming the landmark. The Greek Revival-style house on Indiana Avenue is now known as the Henry B. and Caroline Clarke/Bishop Louis Henry and Margaret Ford House, or simply the Clarke-Ford House, honoring both the original builders and the family who saved it from destruction.
When the City Council approved the name change, the city's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events announced plans for a six-month, million-dollar restoration project. However, nearly three years later, the Clarke-Ford House remains closed to the public, and WBEZ's Reset was not permitted access to the interior during a recent visit. The landmark continues to sit on Indiana Avenue, surrounded by a community garden featuring fresh flowers and produce, while awaiting the completion of its promised restoration.
