History of
Parker-Holsman Co.
Your Neighborhood Realtor since 1931
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History of |
| Parker-Holsman Co. 1461 E. 57th Street Chicago, IL 60637 773-493-2525 Your Neighborhood Realtor since 1931 | |
Let us tell you why we are
Way back in the 1880s, B.J. Parker started a real estate business at 57th St. and Harper Ave. His business thrived as the University of Chicago and the Columbian Exposition came to the area. In 1895, Austin H. Parker inherited the business from uncle B.J.
Henry K. Holsman (1867-1963), took an interesting detour on his way to becoming a noted Midwest architect: in 1901 he established the Holsman Automobile Works and invented a car.
Roads at that time were unpaved obstacle courses. Henry K. reasoned that a special vehicle was needed to traverse "muddy, rutty, rough or rocky roads," and he developed the "highwheeler," a motorized buggy with an 18 inch clearance. His Holsman Model 4 Runabout, promoted as an "all-year 'round automobile," sold for $550.
To Holsman's disappointment, his auto company failed in 1910, and he returned to his first love: architecture. His firm, Holsman & Holsman, was located at 140 S. Dearborn Street.
Over his lifetime he designed more than 1,000 homes, 10 churches, six banks, and a number of college buildings, including those at Parsons College, Fairfield, Iowa.
In Hyde Park, Henry K. designed apartment buildings, particularly designated for junior faculty. Among his buildings are:
5712 S. Kenwood Ave.
5617-19 S. Dorchester Ave.
1149-59 E. 56th St.
1321 E. 56th St.
1330-32 E. 56th St.
7855-61 South Shore Dr.
Henry K.'s son Henry T. Holsman (1901-1995), a 1924 University of Chicago graduate, shared his father's interest in property development. In 1925-26, he formed the Henry T. Holsman Co. to syndicate, build, sell, and manage co-ops on the South Side of Chicago, with his office at 310 N. Michigan.
The stock market crash in 1929, subsequent bank closings, and the Great Depression brought new construction to an end for a while.
Henry T. Holsman then merged his business with that of Austin Parker and Kenneth Leigh. Parker, Holsman and Leigh officially opened on May 1, 1931, at 1500 E. 57th St. Henry K. served on the Board of Directors of the new firm. In 1934, Kenneth Leigh went out on his own and the firm's name was changed to the present Parker-Holsman Co.
Henry T. enjoyed his new storefront office. He could sit at his desk and "wave through the window to all my friends and acquaintances as they streamed to and from the IC station."
The company liked that intersection, moving back and forth over the years: in 1937, to 1501 E. 57th St. (the southeast corner where Powell's Bookstore now is); in 1947 back to 1500; and in 1955 to its present location at 1461 E. 57th St.
Kennedy, Ryan, and Monigal bought Parker-Holsman in 1968 and James L. ("Sandy") Wilson and partners became the new owners in 1982.
In the 1930s, Parker-Holsman Co. was a founding member of the Institute for Real Estate Management (IREM). As a member of IREM, Parker-Holsman Co. began a tradition of providing useful information to its clients. On September 14, 1999, Parker-Holsman Co. continued this tradition with the creation of this website, which includes both an online newsletter and a guides & tips section. Over the years, we have received several awards for our contribution to the real estate industry.
Although our lineage goes back over 120 years, in 2001 we officially celebrated our 70th anniversary of doing business as Parker-Holsman. With its long history and particular interest in preserving and maintaining our treasured older buildings, Parker-Holsman Co. is still
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Real Estate Excellence 
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