The iconic home featured in John Hughes’ 1980s classic comedy Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is back in the news. Earlier this year, the Rose House and Pavilon in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park, used in the film as the home of Ferris’s best friend Cameron and featured in a memorable scene involving a Ferrari, went on the market following the death of its owner, textile designer Frances Rose. Now several months later, Landmarks Illinois is reporting that the house’s unsold status may be making it a candidate for demolition.
Landmarks Illiinois reports the potential threat to the site as-
While the property is designated as a Highland Park landmark, several inquiries have been made regarding demolition of the house and a possible lot split. Local landmark designation is intended to protect historic properties, but some residents fear if the property does not sell, the city may permit demolition.
The Rose House was designed by A. James Speyer and built in 1957. A steel and glass pavilion that was built over a sloping ravine was added onto the property in 1974 to house Rose’s classic car collection. It was the pavilion that was featured in a scene from the climax of Hughes’s 1986 movie where a Ferrari goes skidding out of the pavilion’s glass walls into the ravine below.
The home is currently listed with Soethby’s Reality for a cool $2.3 million dollars. Even at that price tag, it seems a damn shame that a building with historical importance, both cinematically and architecturally, would be in such danger. Even putting the Ferris Bueller connection aside for a moment, the home is considered notable for its progressive design.
Landmark Illinois suggests that if you want to see the city of Chicago keep the property’s landmark protection in place, write to Chicago Mayor Michael D.Belsky at City Hall, 1707 St. John’s Ave., Highland Park, IL 60035 or vial email at hpmayorbelsky@gmail.com.
