Loyola Acquires Historic Frank Lloyd Wright Houses with Donation for Upkeep

The Emil Bach House, designed by famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and the adjacent Lang House were donated to Loyola Jan. 23 along with $1 million for the property’s upkeep. 

The two houses were donated to Loyola by TAWANI Property Management. The monetary donation came from the TAWANI Foundation, an investment firm founded by Jennifer Pritzker, a Loyola alum.

The Emil Bach House was built in 1915 and is located in Rogers Park, 1.5 miles from Loyola’s Lake Shore Campus. It was declared a Chicago Landmark in 1977, according to the Chicago Landmark website. 

The home was designed for Emil Bach, co-owner of the Bach Brick Company, which no longer exists, and admirer of Wright’s work. Bach used to walk from the house to swim in Lake Michigan four times a day to treat a breathing problem he developed working in the brickyard, according to the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. 

Built in Wright’s late Prairie style, the house features flat roofs overhanging geometric block-like construction. The home is a variation of the “Fireproof House for $5000,” which Wright presented in the 1907 Ladies Home Journal, according to The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. 

Wisconsin-born Wright spent the first 20 years of his architectural career living in a rapidly growing Chicago in need of development after The Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Wright designed his own home and studio, which was built in Oak Park in 1889, according to The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation website.

Jennifer Pritzker is the founder and chairwoman of TAWANI Enterprises, and the founder of TAWANI Foundation, an entrepreneurial organization with interests in historic preservation and neighborhood development. She’s a part of the well-known Pritzker family and the cousin of Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

Jennifer Pritzker said in a Jan. 23 statement the donation will contribute to the university’s future.

“This donation is intended to further Loyola University’s mission, enhance its campus infrastructure, and underscore TAWANI’s enduring commitment to supporting the community and fostering educational growth,” Jennifer Pritzker said.

Jennifer Pritzker also donated $10 million to Loyola in 2018, according to TAWANI Enterprise.

Located next door to the Bach House is the Lang House, built in 1919 and designed by Edgar M. Newman in the American Foursquare style, according to the Chicago Architecture Center website. 

After being sold to Frank and Sarah Atlass, the basement of the house housed the WBBM radio station from 1924 to 1925. The house features Arts and Crafts style murals over the fireplace, according to The Chicago Tribune. 

Previously, the house was used as a boarding house for Mundelein Women’s College, according to Chicago Architecture Center. The women’s college merged with Loyola in 1991.

Most recently, the house served as an event and vacation rental, according to TAWANI. The house has five bedrooms and each has a private bathroom, according to the TAWANI Foundation website. 

Kimberlee Carr, TAWANI property management chief operating officer of real estate, said the process of finding new ownership for the homes started in 2023.

“Our goal was to donate them to an organization or individual who could truly benefit from the properties while preserving their integrity and maintaining the high standards they deserve while preserving their history,” Carr wrote in an email to The Phoenix.

The Lang House was acquired by TAWANI in 2005 and the Emil Bach House in 2019, according to Carr.

“All we ask is that they enjoy the properties as much as we have over the years and provide others with the opportunity to experience these beautiful pieces of real estate history,” Carr said.

Kana Henning, vice president for Facilities and Campus Management, helped oversee Loyola’s acquisition of the two houses. 

“Our focus right now is on organizing our operations plans to care for and steward these important properties,” Henning wrote in an email to The Phoenix. 

The Bach House has a conservation agreement requiring the house be opened four times a year to the public, according to Henning. She said those dates have yet to be decided.
The Emil Bach House is one of the multiple Frank Lloyd Wright homes in the Chicago area. The University of Chicago operates the Robie Home, built in 1910. Wright’s home and studio in Oak Park is also available to visit, according to the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust website.

Correction: A previous version of this article misstated Jennifer Pritzker’s position at TAWANI and the source of the $1 million donation. The article was updated February, 23, 2025 to reflect Pritzker’s role as Founder and Chairwoman of TAWANI Enterprises and Founder of TAWANI Foundation and the donation having come from the TAWANI Foundation.