Some History

The two-flat has been called the workhorse of Chicago housing. Typically built from 1900 to 1920, these homes were a bridge for the working class between apartment life and the single family bungalows that were to follow. Commonly, the first floor housed the owner, while the second floor was a rental unit. The layout of both units was almost always the same. Two-flats were made of wood, brick, or stone and found in a variety of architectural styles. This example is a wooden balloon-frame construction with Victorian layout and ornamentation.