Purcell and Elmslie, Architects Firm active: 1907-1921 Minneapolis, Minnesota :: Chicago, Illinois Philadelphia, Pennsylvania :: Portland, Oregon

With George Elmslie hard at work behind the curtain, Louis Sullivan was architect of the original house built in 1908. As a prosperous nationwide merchant of the popular Edison phonographic machines, Henry B. Babson could afford a large country estate. Following George Elmslie from the Sullivan office to P&E as client, Babson continued to commission changes in his residence as well as furniture, decorations, landscaping, and new service buildings.  Parabiographies entries, texts by Purcell describing the work, are shown under the individual design.

• Stables (1912)
• Alterations, furnishings and decoration (1912, 1914)
• Clock, (1912)
• Landscaping, (1914) [Jens Jensen, landscape architect]
• Service Buildings (1915)
• Consultation (1918)
• Alterations, (1923/1926) [George Grant Elmslie, architect]

Lumiere autochrome, 1914	Detail of Lumiere autochrome, showing sleeping porch	Detail of Lumiere autochrome, showing windows
Front perspective	Front elevation	Side elevation and pool
Hallway	Living room	Electrolier
Skylight panel	Detail, skylight panel	Detail, skylight panel
Detail, skylight panel	Leaded glass panel

Texts

• Parabiographies entry, by William Gray Purcell

Other Resources

• Auctions

"American Renaissance" auction at Sotheby's (December 10, 2005)
Wood grille panel

"American Renaissance" auction at Sotheby's (December 10, 2005)
Area rug