Historic Wrigley Mansion in Park West for sale: $7.15 million

It’s got nine bedrooms and “6.3 bathrooms,” a grand foyer and staircase, wine bar, grand ballroom, game rooms (yes, plural), mahogany paneled library — and a walk-in vault.

And now the Wrigley Mansion can be yours, for $7.15 million. And bargain-hunters take note: that’s a steep discount from the last listing price of $8.7 million. The 120-year-old historic Park West mansion is on the block.

The 15,000-square-foot mansion at 2466 N. Lakeview was an early commission for architect Richard Schmidt, who designed the house for beer baron Joseph Theurer in 1896 before taking up the Prairie Style.

Theurer sold the home to chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. in 1911, and Wrigley family owned the home until the 1980s — though realtor Anthony Disano of Parkvue Realty said the Wrigleys for decades left the house empty save for a caretaker.

“It’s definitely a gem,” Disano said. “The woodwork has been amazingly well-preserved, the brass doorhandles, hinges and screws shine … at 120 years old, the gold-leaf coffered ceilings are still intact. It’s pretty amazing that it has kept its luster all this time.”

The concrete-and-steel construction is clad with terra cotta tiles believed to have been manufactured by the same company that provided the cladding for the Wrigley Building on Michigan Avenue. Some of the tiffany glasswork was stolen or damaged by vandals in the 1950s, but some of the vintage glass remains in excellent condition, Disano said.

GalleryThe historic structure once was considered for an official mayoral residence, but landed on the private market and has changed hands several times. Attorney Ted Tetzlaff bought the house in 2004 for $9 million, according to media reports, but Cook County property records show Bank of America foreclosed on the home in 2011.

Disano said the house was lovingly cared for by Tetzlaff, and was occupied until just a few months ago.

Tetzlaff could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.

Disano said the house already was drawing interest from buyers with a range of ideas in mind, from demolishing the house (not allowed; the home was made a Chicago landmark in 1979 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980), to turning it into a bed-and-breakfast. Disano notes that preservation laws would allow the buyer to renovate the interior — if they don’t like exotic wood millwork — though the exterior would have to remain unchanged.

The house also has a carriage house that will hold four cars, and the third-floor ballroom has views of Lincoln Park and Lake Michigan.

Media reports noted the house was put on the market for $9.5 million in 2011 and $8.7 million in 2004. Disano notes the neighborhood has several listings in the $7 million to $8 million price range, but none have the history of the mansion, known also as the Theurer-Wrigley House.

“I don’t think there’s anything on the market quite like it,” he said.

Contributing: Sam Charles