Jacobs House

Dates: 1938 - 1941
Location: Glencoe, IL
Type: Single Family Residences

Goldberg’s early residential designs were characterized by economy and innovation. He worked closely with his clients, designing for them individualized spaces with rich details. In this instance, Nathan Jacobs, an advertising and promotional executive, wanted something “unusual.” A long and narrow lot, stretching from street to street, required that his unusual house also be long and narrow. Goldberg designed the home in a truncated “L” shape. The long part of the “L” contained the carport, children’s bedrooms, and a recreation room that separated the bedrooms from the rest of the house. At the base of the “L” was a semi-circular library and living room, the hub of the house. The gentle curve of the room focused the attention of the occupants upon the dramatic fireplace. The fireplace had a tempered glass flue that permitted sparks to be seen through the copper grille. The short part of the “L” contained the master bedroom, dining room, bathroom, ample closets, and the kitchen. The outside wall of the kitchen was glass block from floor to ceiling, which admits daylight though the cupboards.