On yesterday’s tour of Evanston developments, Asbury Ridge stood out for obvious reasons. First, our literature-loving hearts leapt when we heard this was the conversion of the “Dryden grand mansion,” but then we remembered we were in Evanston, not England, and the house belonged to George, not John. Nevertheless, the Colonial Revival home, which was designed by George Maher and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, would make Croesus blush.
The mansion, located at 1314 Ridge Ave, has been carved into four three- and four-bedroom condos. The restoration preserves the original grand staircase, Italian slate tiled roof, library and fireplaces. The spectacular third-floor ballroom is being converted to living space. Behind the mansion, the original carriage house has been divided into two three-bedroom “carriage homes,” and new detached two-car garages have been built for each unit. There are also seven single-family lots on the 2.3-acre site. Prices range from $1.1 to $1.5 million. Stay tuned to see broker Jean Wright talk about the project.
