Bathhouse Turned Mansion Asks $6M

Some West Town sellers are drawing up a flood of interest.

A onetime municipal bathhouse in the East Village of West Town has returned to the market, this time as a high-end private residence.

Located at 1019 North Wolcott Avenue, the six-bedroom, nearly 9,750-square-foot property is asking for just under $6 million, the Chicago Tribune reported. It comes out to about $616 per square foot. Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty’s Jennifer Mills Klatt has the listing.

It was built in 1913 and originally operated as the Lincoln Public Bath, one of 19 city-run hygiene facilities constructed between 1894 and 1918. Just four remain standing today. The building served working-class residents in an era before widespread indoor plumbing and was among the city’s most ornate when it opened.

The seller is Jeremy Anderson, who purchased the building in 2013 with Michelle Hayward, a startup entrepreneur who co-founded the online shopping platform Cartdrop. Anderson currently sits on Cartdrop’s advisory council, according to a LinkedIn profile.

The pair restored the historic structure into a sprawling residence, and in 2015 hosted a public meet-and-greet for then-newly elected 2nd Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins inside the home.

Now fully residential, the three-story property has preserved some historical elements while adding modern upgrades.

The main level features an open great room with skylights and the lower level includes a lounge, gym and three en-suite guest bedrooms. The home also features a rooftop deck, a full bar, multiple outdoor entertaining spaces and an attached garage parking. The asking price puts it on the high end of the neighborhood’s market.

The house sits on a 7,750-square-foot lot and is zoned as a single-family home, though it retains a business license. Two of the guest suites currently operate as short-term rentals on platforms including Airbnb.

The limestone facade and Roman-inspired detailing still recall its public-service past but today’s version is more suited to cocktail parties than cold-water soaks; it reflects the shifting trajectory of East Village real estate from utilitarian civic infrastructure to high-end enclave.

— Judah Duke