Pleasant Home

Pleasant Home, also known as the John Farson House, is a historic home located in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, United States. The large, Prairie style mansion was designed by architect George Washington Maher and completed in 1897. The house was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on June 19, 1972. Exactly 24 years later, in 1996, it was declared a National Historic Landmark by the United States Department of the Interior.

History

Pleasant Home, historically known as the John Farson House, derives its common name from its location, at the intersection of Pleasant Street and Home Avenue in Oak Park. It was built and designed by prominent Prairie School architect George W. Maher in 1897. The house was constructed for John Farson, who lived in the house from 1897 until 1908. In 1908 the home's most recent private owner, Herbert S. Mills, bought the house and stayed there until he sold it to the Park District of Oak Park in 1939. The Pleasant Home was situated on a larger lot, which was converted to a park now called Mills Park. Situated on the lot were also a greenhouse and a coach house where horse carriages and horses were originally kept, and later automobiles. The coach house and greenhouse have since been demolished due to deterioration from insufficient upkeep.