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This large estate, besides being an exceptional and large prairie design, is most notable for its landscaping which was designed by Jens Jensen, the famous landscape architect. Included in the landscaping, behind the house, is an artificial pond and stream with a limestone bridge across it. The water for the stream is pumped up from the nearby Des Plaines River and eventually drains back into it.
The estate is not as large as it was originally because the second owners deeded the northern part of the property to the State of Illinois so that Chicago Avenue could cross the river and connect to First Avenue. More land was sold to a neighboring church
The foundation is poured concrete. The house is supported with steel beams. The exterior walls are stucco on top of "Jumbo Brick", a kind of hollow tile block. The Roof is red clay tile.
The Cluever house is similar to the
Skillin and
Anderson houses but is a larger and more sophisticated design.
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