Bidding on Barrington Home Begins Anew

Click here to see auction details and carefully read title report, description and documents found through links at the bottom of the auction page.

Photograph shown details a section of the guest house; photos of the main house are not featured.

Opening bid begins at $475,000 and bid increments have been reduced to $50.000. Auction ends in two days.

UPDATE: The highest bid for Round 3 of the Auction was $525,000. The Bank rejected the bid and has placed the home and property up for auction again beginning at $475,000. The auction runs from 9/2/2018 through 9/4/2018.

2nd UPDATE: The highest bid for Round 4 of the Auction was $475,000. The Bank rejected the bid and the auction begins anew next weekend.

3rd UPDATE: The highest bid for the latest auction was about $478,000. 

Grodman Mid-Century Modern Warehouse Items - Final Auction Prices

Grodman's mid-century modern warehouse items were auctioned off on 8/23/18 and included the Don Erickson hand-crafted Oak and Onyx Wood Doors and Cabinet Doors removed from Erickson's Barrington house on or about late 2015, gold background Asian lacquered screens, and the matching marble foo dog to the foo dog that now acts as a gravestone in memory of Don Erickson at the White Memorial Cemetery on Cuba Road, Barrington, Illinois. Click here to see list of items and their final sale price.

Before the Rennovations

Visual Tour of Don Erickson Home - 2009

ROUND 3 - DON ERICKSON HOME ON THE AUCTION BLOCK ON AUGUST 26

After Dr. Joseph E. Grodman acquired Erickson's Barrington home and 10 acres of land in March 2011 and after substantial renovations, Dr. Grodman lost the home and property to foreclosure. A foreclosure lawsuit was filed in early 2016 and a court-ordered property sale issued in May 2018.

The renovations to the house were principally done by BDS Design Build Remodel. I believe that they made structural improvements to the residential home and installed a new HVAC system. The wood-shingles on the Jamaican roofs had previously been replaced by concrete shingles under Don's direction a few years prior to his death in 2006. The brick floors were laid when the house was originally constructed. Erickson, his wife Shirley, their children, and Richard Erickson's family were all involved in building the original home. Richard was Don's chief drafts-person between 1955 and 1994, having attend Taliesin with Don under the tutelage of Frank Lloyd Wright.

The president of BDS is happy to consult with prospective buyers about the home and the work done on its renovation.  Contact Bryon Slowick. 

BDS Design Build Remodel
14052 W Petronella Dr #103
Libertyville, IL 60048
bdsdesignbuildremodel.com
Office- 847.816.3250 ext 623

Today, the house consists of floors, walls, and roofs and appears to be structurally sound but, as with many homes in foreclosure, the owners themselves often strip the property of all valuables to recoup financial losses. This appears to be true of Grodman's home. The same onyx kitchen cabinets and doors designed by Don and built by him and his son, are now being auctioned off in New Jersey as part of Grodman's mid-century art collection. The east coast auction includes the grey stone foo dog that matches its companion which acts as Don's gravestone at White Memorial Cemetery on Cuba Road in Barrington, and Chinese screens that once graced the front entrance-way and the guest bedroom.

The Architect at Work

Two tenants live in the "coach house" on the property, have two large dogs, and had an agreement with Dr. Grodman which we believe included care taking the home and property in exchange for living quarters. Please consult an attorney concerning their tenancy rights related to a home in foreclosure if you are an interested buyer.

The "coach house" was actually first a barn. When the Erickson family moved to Barrington, Shirley was able to realize her dream of raising Arabian horses. The loft was used for storage of hay and straw but after Don and Shirley divorced, Don converted the barn to a "bachelor's pad" where many family members and some of Don's apprentices lived. The spiral wood staircase in the coach house was designed and built by Don's father, Gunnar Erickson. Gunnar, himself, was a master crafts-person and operated Emmco Stairs in Des Plaines, Illinois for many years.

The Barrington property consists of two 5-acre parcels, the vacant back acreage, parcel number: 13-23-200-011, and the residential property consisting of the main house and the guest home, parcel number: 13-23-200-014. While we believe that Bank of America owns both parcels, only the residential parcel is listed on the auction website. The listing agent is Carole O'Niell.

Carole O'Neill
CHICAGOLAND REALTY LLC
Managing Broker/Owner GRI-REOMAC
2654 N Douglas Ave
Arlington Heights, IL 60004
847 778 5040
carole@caroleoneill.com

It is strongly suggested that interested buyers read the title insurance report available on the auction website and clarify the deeds, liens, and judgments by retaining a title company to conduct a title search and/or to conduct research via the Lake County Recorder's office.

Lake County Recorder's Office - Property Search

Tax records for the property can be researched here: Property Tax Information

Income tax liens can be researched here: State Income Tax Liens

The second auction listed the sale at $475,000. There were 3 bids, the highest being $625,000. Now, the property is again listed at $475,000 with bid increments of $100,000. It is suspected that the Bank has rejected earlier bids due to some unexpressed "reserve" which is briefly described on the auction website.

It is my wish and that of my siblings that a buyer who takes an interest in our father's work and can make an investment toward the renovation of the house is the new owner. Don's home was part of his legacy; we are disheartened by the situation but hopeful that the "wright" buyer can be found.

Items from Don Erickson Barrington Home being Separately Auctioned and the Auction is Now

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/63988326_oak-and-onyx-craftsmen-room-divider (Hand built and designed by my father.)

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/63988329_monumental-carved-marble-foo-lion (The other foo dog graces my father's grave at White Cemetery off Cuba Road.)

The mural in the entertainment room was designed and created by another artist and, if I recall correctly, the mural was installed in 2-3 pieces and is signed on the back by the artist.

House and Home in Barrington - the Beginning

My parents, Don and Shirley Erickson, purchased 10 acres of Barrington property when I was seven years old. While Dad built his business and we lived in a rented home in Mt. Prospect, Illinois, our summer weekends were often spent in Barrington. Dad built a tree house that was suspended between two trees, we flew hand-crafted model airplanes, and picked wild raspberries.  Dad would scan the property to try to determine the best site to build the home, a design which went through many iterations before the first structure was built when I was in 6^th and 7^th grade. 

During the time that the house was under construction, our entire family worked on the house under Dad’s tutelage and our cousin, Richard Erickson, also participated in building the house. We lay brick floors in winter with a “Sally” heater in the bitter cold. We helped put in plumbing, we stained the cedar walls, and more. We moved into a sprawling home with a flat roof with eves that draped over the walls and spent nearly a year there before the 1967 Lake Zurich tornado leveled our home, sending the roof into the valley, flattening most of the walls, and destroying most of our belongings.

The Lake Zurich Tornado

We had $80,000 in insurance reimbursement and, with that and other funding, we rebuilt the home but this time with Jamaican roofs capped by skylights through which we could watch the stars.

I understand that the house has currently experienced destruction through looters and vandals and that the house is a shell of roofs and walls. This is what occurs when homes go into foreclosure and are left vacant. Even a pristine home built with the loving care of a well-trained architect and his family is not immune to the same destruction faced by so many homes across the United States since the sub-prime market crash in 2007-08.  But, even now, the home’s condition is not comparable to what our family faced one early evening in April 1967. For with grit and determination, we re-built the home and our father continued to expand it throughout the years, testing his design concepts on our home before using them on client’s designs.

For photos of the original home, its destruction and second beginning, please click on the link below.

Second Beginnings

Erickson Home - Price Drop to $475,000

https://www.auction.com/details/26280-w-il-rt-22-barrington-il-60010-2551807-o_1201l

Looking Back - Photos of the Architect and his Home

Don was born of Swedish immigrants who settled in Chicago. Eric Gunnar Erickson immigrated from Arvika, Sweden and was from a family of craftsman while Ebba Linnea Larson was raised in Olmstad, Sweden. Her family who were farmers, midwives, artists and church organists.

Gunnar and Ebba met and married in Chicago and had one child, a child who aspired to become an architect from an early age and who fell in love with the works of Frank Lloyd Wright and who came to call Wright "his second father."

Please click on the link below for photo album

The Architect and His Creation

Round Two - Don Erickson Home on the Auction Block (again)

See link:https://www.auction.com/details/26280-w-il-rt-22-barrington-il-60010-2551807-o_1201l

New auction begins Sunday, August 19, 2018.  Ironic since this is just 10 days before my father's birthday. I am hoping that a buyer who appreciates my father's work will make a bid and bring the house back to its full glory.

For Sale - Park Ridge Home Designed by Don Erickson

https://chicago.curbed.com/2018/6/27/17508152/for-sale-midcentury-don-erickson-frank-lloyd-wright

The Fate of Don Erickson's Barrington Home

The auction of my father's personal home begins on 8/12/2018.

See link below:

https://www.auction.com/apps/home-disclosures/2551807/pdf?address=26280%2520W%2520IL%2520RT%252022&city=BARRINGTON&state=Illinois&zip_code=60010&county=Lake

Auction Information:

https://www.auction.com/details/26280-w-il-rt-22-barrington-il-60010-2551807-o_1200l

Don Erickson's Personal Home Seized by Bank and On the Auction Block Soon

It is with deep regret that I post a link to this article about my father's home.  Is there, perhaps, a knight in shining armour?

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20180731/CRED0701/180739980/architect-don-erickson-s-former-home-seized-by-bank

http://modernil.com/the-saga-of-don-ericksons-masterpiece-personal-estate-continues/

Don Erickson's Family Home - Renewed and Placed on the Market

The Sage of Don Erickson's Masterpiece

Paolo Soleri Dies at Age 93

My father, Don Erickson, and I attended a show of Soleri's work (renderings and models) in Chicago when I was a teenager.  And, we visited Soleri at Acrosanti in Arizona.  Dad's home featured Solieri's "bells" from each beam that overhung the long front sidewalk.

I wonder what will happen to Arcosanti and to Soleri's work. . .

Indian Lakes Resort

Indian Lakes Resort discussed under "Frank Lloyd Wright Sites."

FLW House for Sale in Hyde Park

Heller House for Sale

Svetlana Peters Dies

http://www.jsonline.com/news/obituaries/stalins-daughter-dies-had-lived-in-richland-center-j837ubs-134628588.html

Frank Lloyd Wright Home Facing Sale At Auction Spurs Community Action (PHOTOS)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/26/frank-lloyd-wright-home-f_n_1111121.html

Shirley D. Erickson - Memorial Service

Shirley D. Erickson was born in her family home in Neshkoro, Wisconsin on November 17, 1927, the third child to Arnold C. and Bernice M.Dahlke. Baptized Shirley Mae Dahlke at the Zion Lutheran Church in Neshkoro, this same church will be the location of her memorial service to be held on June 18, 2011 at 3:00 p.m., in honor of Shirley’s life, and to mark her passing on May 16, 2011 of a cardiac arrest.

Educated in a one-room school house, Shirley first attended school at age four. In the third grade, her fate as a future artist was sealed when she first saw the painting of “The Horse Fair” done by the French artist, Rosa Bonheur. Her fate as a horsewoman was also sealed when her father, Arnold, promised to give Shirley a mustang stallion named, “King,” when Shirley was hospitalized and not expected to survive. However, promised a horse of her own, Shirley regained her will to live, and the girl and King were inseparable until Shirley attended college at age sixteen.

Majoring in fine arts and English at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Shirley secured her bachelor’s degree in 1948. Afterwards, she studied at the Banff school of fine arts in Alberta, Canada, and later pursued graduate work both at her alma mater and at Northern Illinois University. Between her studies, Shirley spent four-months living at the White Mountain Apache Reservation in Arizona, where she did water colors and learned Native American rituals and lore. She also spent several months living and painting in Tombstone, Arizona; she was recovering from tuberculosis at the time.

Shirley was first retained to do interior design at the Boston Store in Milwaukee. Disillusioned by the retail trade, she returned to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Wisconsin, Madison in fine art and education. Between college semesters, Shirley secured a position as a summer camp counselor and art teacher at Hilltop Camp in Spring Green, Wisconsin, which was run by Herbert and Eloise Fritz. Hilltop was located near Taliesin East, a school founded by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It was on a tour of Taliesin that Shirley met her future husband, Don Erickson, a red-haired man born of Swedish immigrants whose passion for architecture rivaled Shirley’s passion for being a fine artist. Don apprenticed with Wright between 1948 and 1951. Two years later, the couple married at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Princeton, Wisconsin on December 13, 1952.

The couple first resided in a home designed by Don and located in Palatine, Illinois which they built while Shirley was pregnant with her first child. On or about 1956, the Ericksons moved to Mt. Prospect, Illinois where they resided until 1965. Shirley was a stable artist at the Countryside Gallery in Arlington Heights, Illinois between 1963 and 1970, and a participant in numerous juried art shows. While Shirley built her reputation as an artist, Don built his architectural practice, gaining renown in the Chicago area for his design of private residences, and the Indian Lakes Resort, Hilton Hotel in Bloomingdale, Illinois.

In the early 1960’s, Don and Shirley acquired ten acres of land in Barrington, Illinois and eventually built a home that Don designed for the Erickson family which had grown to three children. Shirley won “Best in Show” for her painting of the Langendorf’s Antique Shop at the Barrington Art Fair in 1969. In 1970, Don and Shirley divorced, and Shirley returned to Wisconsin to raise Arabian horses and to continue her work as an artist; she and her family lived on a farm near Princeton, Wisconsin. After her first two children attended college, Shirley moved to Dakota, Wisconsin. During this time, a retrospective of Shirley’s work was featured at the Oshkosh Public Museum in 1986.

Always the adventurer, one day the spirit moved her; Shirley packed up her van, drove out west, and landed in Dove Creek, Colorado when she was in her 70’s. She said that she never felt more at home than in Dove Creek, where she was welcomed as the local artist and did many of her best paintings. In year 2000, the Edge of the Cedars State Park museum in Blanding, Utah, featured the “Rock and Soul” exhibition of Shirley’s work, which included paintings of bleached skulls, Mesa Verde, and Anasazi ruins.

Diagnosed with lung disease in 2005, Shirley could no longer withstand the Colorado altitude, and she missed seeing her only grandchild, Cora. She returned home to Wautoma, this time with her companion “Dog,” a shaggy Australian Shepherd. Near the end of her life, Shirley enjoyed the company of Cora, taught art to private students, but with dwindling eyesight, she painted less and less. She reflected, just before she died, that she had “lived a good life” and that she“had done everything that she wanted to do.” She died, just as she lived, on her own terms.

The memorial service, which is open to the public, will be held at the Zion Lutheran Church, on 227 North State Street, Neshkoro, WI, on Saturday, June 18, 2011 at 3:00 p.m. Flowers can be sent to the church in Shirley’s honor, or donations can be made in her honor to the American Lung Association (www.lungusa.org).

In Memorium

Shirley in Barrington

A memorial service will be held for Shirley D. Erickson, along with a photographic retrospective of her paintings, on June 18, 2011 at 3:00 p.m. at the Zion Lutheran Church in Neshkoro, Wisconsin.


Zion Lutheran Church
227 North State Street
Neshkoro, WI 54960-9501
(920) 293-4312




Family, friends, and the public are welcome. Flowers can be sent in Shirley's honor to the church, or donations can be made, in Shirley's honor, to the American Lung Society. See link below:

http://www.lungusa.org/donate/memorial-honor-gifts/

Shirley suffered from COPD.