You may be wondering why we’ve called our annual Halloween spectacle A House, Haunted. Is the Harley Clarke Mansion in Evanston actually haunted? Possibly. We’ll double check with the ghosts carousing in the Ballroom and the skeletons studying in the Library and get back to you.
Regardless, A House, Haunted actually references the other definition of haunt: to visit often, to frequent, or to continually seek the company of. We critters at Artists Book House (ABH) are obsessed with the Harley Clarke Mansion—in a good way! We’ve gazed into our crystal ball and see a bright future for the house as a thriving center for the literary and book arts. Because of this, we’ve been working our fingers to the bone to restore it to its former glory.
The Harley Clarke Mansion, located next to Lake Michigan in Evanston, Illinois, was built in 1927 for the Clarke family by the architect Richard Powers. The gardens and landscaping were designed by Jens Jensen. In 1950, the house was purchased by the Sigma Chi Fraternity to be used as their national headquarters. After that, the City of Evanston purchased the Harley Clarke Mansion and grounds, including the beach, in 1963. The house was leased to the Evanston Art Center from 1965 until 2015.
On February 8, 2021, the Evanston City Council voted to enter into lease negotiations with Artists Book House, and in May of 2021, ABH signed a long-term lease of the house. Thus began the haunting of the Harley Clarke Mansion! Since May, our skeleton crew been cleaning, decluttering, and sharing our visions for the future with all like-minded, kindred spirits. Anyone who visits can see firsthand the tremendous potential this space holds for Artists Book House to promote the literary arts and the crafts of book making in unlimited, interdisciplinary ways.
Our plans for the house include:
A Bookstore featuring artists books, comics, zines, poetry chapbooks, books on art, illustration, writing, and tools and supplies for making books and paper
Studios and classrooms for papermaking, letterpress printing, bookbinding, and writing classes and reading groups
A Library housing a permanent collection of artists’ books
Gallery and exhibition spaces
An event space for book launches, author readings, poetry slams, and artist talks
A cafe serving beverages and light fare, open to the public, and including a new terrace overlooking Lake Michigan
Though the possibilities are endless, the work that lies ahead is considerable. We want to make this the best space possible, which means rehabbing, remodeling, ensuring the building is up to code, and installing an elevator, among other requirements. We’re going to need a lot of magic, a variety of incantations, a potion or two, and most importantly—your support! Please consider volunteering, donating if you can, and signing up for our newsletter, The Book Report, to receive news, updates and exclusive content.