Up until the home at 524 W. Fifth St. was built in 2004, this was the newest home in the Old Third Ward. It was built in 1984 and designed specifically for this site by local architect Frank Isaacson. It extends down the face of the bluff four stories with walls of glass on each level taking advantage of the southern exposure.
The homeowners had somewhat of a difficult time tracking down the owner of the undeveloped property, finally locating her in Alaska. She lived on an island that had mail delivery every couple of weeks. She had never visited this piece of land she'd inherited and made a deal.
A brief look at what this area looked like in 1930 can be seen in a clip from the last trolley ride on YouTube. In this clip the trolley is traveling south on S. State St. and makes a right turn onto W. Prospect Ave. The drop off to the Fox River where this house now stands can be seen at the foot of S. State St., along with a glimpse of the bridge over the Fox River and Hearthstone.
During construction neighbors thought another water treatment facility was being built because of the massive amounts of concrete needed to keep the structure from sliding down the hill.
Since the mid-80s some updating has been done, but the structure remains, as the current (and original) owners state: "a delight to live in."
