Evanston, Illinois · Est. 1882
Perhaps Evanston's oldest surviving double house.
One half of an 1882 side-by-side residence designed by architect Asa Lyon for W. E. Brainerd as an investment property — and the story of restoring it.
A recognized building type — hidden in plain sight.
In the late 19th century a double house was a distinct architectural type: two attached dwellings built as one composition. Today most people would simply call it a duplex.
A recent Chicago Magazine feature identifies 516 Greenwood as exactly this — and dates it to 1882, not the 1891 in the MLS record.
Built as investment housing. Architect Asa Lyon designs the twin residence for W. E. Brainerd.
One of Evanston's earliest surviving attached residential buildings, set within a historic district.
Each half separately owned. Knob-and-tube wiring, a structural basement, and questions of preservation vs. modernization.
Then & Now
Know something about this house?
Photos, records, or a connection to Asa Lyon or the Brainerd family — we'd love to hear from you.