I visited the Glessner House at 1800 S Prairie Ave in Chicago on June 8th with my friend Don Nelson of Minnesota. It was my third time touring the 18,000 sq foot home, designed by Henry Hobbs Richardson and built in 1886 for John Jacob and Frances Mabeth Glessner and their two chidren, George then 14 1/2 and Frances eight years. I am pointing to the Tree of Life created in stone above the door on Prairie Ave which serves as the entrance to the building now for visitors. It is below where I met the current Ex Director Bill and his assistant Lynne, and two young women (xiaojie) from Southern China, where a could practice my conversational skills. My middle name is Glessner, Glassmacher in German, and for me, learning about my genealogy grounds me into who i am and opens a door to how I can continue to be of service to "all my relations" and the family tree of life. I invite readers to consider how each generation builds in the experience strength and hope of those who have gone before, and the lessons they learned.
Here we are starting the tour from the 18th Street side, entering where the carriages and horses were kept. The two Zhongguo (Chinese) women and then Don with his Turtle Movies shirt. No photos are allowed inside the building.
Here is the courtyard of the home.
The first page of a genealogy inquiry from JJ Glessner in 1879 to Lewis Glessner, my greatgrandfather who owned and edited the Hancock County Courier in Findlay Ohio.
Second page of the letter from JJ Glessner to Lewis Glessner in 1879. I await hearing from the Glessner House Archives whether Lewis responded to him. Lewis died March 3 1879 and this letter was handed down from Lewis son, Leonard Cowles Glessner and grandson, Harry Chappelear Glessner to Margaret Glessner Weaver, my mom.
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