Edward Carson Waller (November 21, 1845 – January 13, 1931) was a

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

developer and patron of

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright Sr. (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed List of Frank Lloyd Wright works, more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key ...

who pioneered development of subsidized

low-income housing Subsidized housing is a subsidy aimed towards alleviating housing costs and expenses for impoverished people with low to moderate incomes. In the United States, subsidized housing is often called "affordable housing". Forms of subsidies include d ...

and some of the first

skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Most modern sources define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition, other than being very tall high-rise bui ...

s in Chicago.

Early life

Waller was born November 21, 1845. Around 1860, the family moved to the outskirts of Chicago, on a family estate now known as

Buena Park Buena Park (''Buena'', Spanish for "Good") is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census its population was 84,034. It is the location of several tourist attractions, including Knott's Berry Farm. It is ...

. At age 24, Waller became close friends with future White City architect

Daniel Burnham Daniel Hudson Burnham (September 4, 1846 – June 1, 1912) was an American architect and urban designer. A proponent of the ''Beaux-Arts architecture, Beaux-Arts'' movement, he may have been "the most successful power broker the American archi ...

as they traveled to Nevada in 1869 to prospect for gold. While they did not get rich, the close friendship continued upon their return to Chicago.

Associated developments

Waller co-founded the Central Safety Deposit Company and used his influence around the city to develop many famous Chicago buildings. * In 1885, Waller developed and

William Le Baron Jenney William Le Baron Jenney (September 25, 1832 – June 14, 1907) was an American architect and engineer known for building the first skyscraper in 1884. In 1998, Jenney was ranked number 89 in the book ''1,000 Years, 1,000 People: Ranking th ...

designed, the

Home Insurance Building The Home Insurance Building was a skyscraper that stood in Chicago from 1885 to its demolition in 1931. Originally ten stories and tall, it was designed by William Le Baron Jenney in 1884 and completed the next year. Two floors were added in ...

at the corner of LaSalle and Adams Street, the first building to use iron and steel skeleton construction. * In 1889, Waller worked with

Holabird & Root The architectural firm now known as Holabird & Root was founded in Chicago in 1880. Over the years, the firm has changed its name several times and adapted to the architectural style then current — from Chicago School to Art Deco to Moder ...

to develop the Tacoma Building, another early skyscraper. * In association with the Central Safety Deposit Company, Waller collaborated with

Burnham and Root Burnham and Root was one of Chicago's most famous architectural companies of the nineteenth century. It was established by Daniel Hudson Burnham and John Wellborn Root. During their eighteen years of partnership, Burnham and Root designed and ...

to design and build the

Rookery Building The Rookery Building is a historic office building located at 209 South LaSalle Street in the Chicago Loop. Completed by architects Daniel Burnham and John Wellborn Root of Burnham and Root in 1888, it is considered one of their masterpie ...

in 1888. * In 1895, Waller worked with a young

to develop the Waller Apartments (1895) and the Francisco Terrace (1895). These facilities executed Waller's pioneering ideas for subsidized low income housing. * As secretary and treasurer of the Central Safety Deposit association, Waller hired

to refurbish the

in 1905. * Waller's patronage of Wright continued for more than 20 years, to include ''Auvergne,'' his residence in

River Forest, Illinois River Forest is a suburban village adjacent to Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 11,717. Two universities make their home in River Forest, Dominican University (Ill ...

, and a bathing pavilion for his property in

Charlevoix, Michigan Charlevoix ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Charlevoix County, Michigan, Charlevoix County. Part of Northern Michigan, Charlevoix is located on an isthmus between Lake Michigan and Lake Charlevoix, bisected by ...

References

Real estate and property developers People from Maysville, Kentucky Frank Lloyd Wright 1845 births 1931 deaths {{US-architect-19C-stub