1741 W. Jarvis Avenue

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1741 W. Jarvis Avenue, Elmer L. Carlson, 1919.

Source: Rogers Park Directory, 1919, page 33.

1741 W. Jarvis Avenue, the Kahn-Shaw House

Source: 29th Annual House Tour, pages 14 & 15.

The lot for this house was part of Catherine Rogers Touhy's inheritance from her father Philip McGregor Rogers and her brother Philip Rogers, Jr., a business partner of her husband Patrick Leonard Touhy. The original owner, Elmer L. Carlson, purchased the lot from Catherine in 1911. The permit for the house was issued in 1912; the architect was Edward W. Benson. The home was constructed as a two-apartment building and has always remained so.

Edward Kahn purchased the property for himself and his wife Pat Shaw from Richard Wolper and Barbara Wolfer in January 1981. Tenant Bob Carlson, who had lived on the second floor with his wife June Carlson for several years until she died, stayed on for 10 years. This is noteworthy primarily because he shared the last name of the first owners, Carlson. The couple had two sons, who later inherited the property and are listed on the 1920 and 1940 censuses. The Kahns have yet to determine if Bob Carlson was related to these early owners.

The two apartments have the same floor plan. Each apartment has a living room with alcove, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, dining room, and kitchen with pantry. Both units have broad front porches; at some point, the exterior back porches were enclosed. The home was initially lit by gas; there were exposed gas jets in the basement when the Kahns moved in. Original built-ins include the fireplace and book shelves in the living room, the china cabinet in the dining room, and the linen cupboard outside the bathroom.

The Kahns made many changes to the house. In 1986 they finished the basement to include a large living area, a bedroom, and upgraded bathroom, a laundry room, and work room. In 1999 they removed the wall separating the kitchen and back porch on the first floor. They put in sliding glass doors that open out to a deck that was added at the same time. The second floor retains the original floor plan throughout.

Also in 1999 the second apartment became Ed's office and work space. The back porch upstairs serves as a winger greenhouse. In 2005 they replaced the dilapidated 1936 garage with a new "cottage garage," having declined to create an attractive feature rather than simply a utilitarian structure.

In 2007 they remodeled the small first-floor bathroom, converting the original door to a pocket door to conserve space. This year their good friend and neighbor Brad Hopkins, a Master Gardener, has re-lanscaped the front lawn and is now working on the back yard.

The garden is Certified Wildlife Habitat and has been home to racoons, rabbits, squirrels, opossum, skunks, and a variety of birds. The arborvitae planted in the mid-1980's has grown to double its expected height and circumference nd is a favorite nesting place for birds and other creatures. Raspberry bushes were planted by Jill Wolfer Twery, resident from 1967 to 1981.

The baby crib in the back yard is an heirloom that was used by Pat Shaw's mother and her 4 siblings; it is probably 20 years older than the house.