Biography on Robert Seyfarth from RobertSeyfarthArchitect.com
The Architect
Robert Edward Seyfarth was born on April 13, 1878 in Blue Island, Illinois.
His parents were active in local business and community affairs. After attending the local schools in Blue Island, he continued his education at the Chicago Manual Training School, which was eventually absorbed into the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. Created by the Commercial Club of Chicago, it combined practical training in such topics as architectural drawing and construction with the usual courses of a general education. After graduating in 1895, he worked under August Fiedler in the Architect’s Department of the Chicago School Board. Around 1898 Seyfarth went to work for George W. Maher, an influential architect associated with the Prairie School style of architecture.
In addition to his work in Maher’s office, Seyfarth started to design houses on his own. His early works were in either the Prairie School style or showed Maher’s influence. In 1903, he built a Prairie School style house on Maple Avenue in Blue Island for himself and his future bride.
Around 1909 he had opened is own practice. For a number of years he had an office in downtown Chicago, at first in the Corn Exchange Bank Building and then in the Tribune Tower. In 1934, during the depression he moved his office into his house in Highland Park.
In 1910 he had built a new house in the North Shore community of Highland Park and moved his family there. He and his wife, Nell Martin Seyfarth became active in local affairs as his business thrived. She was involved with the PTA, the local school board and the Highland Park Women’s Club while he found clients among the businessmen and professionals moving to the northern suburbs.
The new house in Highland Park marked a change in the direction of his design work. With a gambrel roof, painted shingles for siding, large double hung windows and an enclosed porch that ran the length of the house facing the street, its style alluded to historical precedents instead of the Prairie School style of his earlier work. For the rest of his career he would continue to design gracefully proportioned and finely detailed houses, often combining Colonial and Tudor elements with strong geometric forms.
Robert E. Seyfarth continued to live in Highland Park until his death in 1950.