In Chicago’s Hermosa neighbourhood, Walt Disney’s childhood home recently opened to the public for the first time during the Chicago Architecture Centre’s Open House event. The tour showcased the modest cottage where Walt and his family lived, with fascinating insights into the life of his father, Elias Disney, a multifaceted man who worked as a construction worker during the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. Visitors explored the parlour where Elias might have played the fiddle and heard stories of the fair’s innovations. The tour also included a look at the family’s dining room, kitchen, and bedrooms, shedding light on the early years of the Disney family. Despite initial resistance to designating the property as a historical landmark, efforts are now underway to restore it to its 1901 state.
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In Chicago’s Hermosa neighbourhood, a humble two-story residence stands on North Tripp Avenue. While it might appear unassuming, a crowd of eager individuals, some adorned in Mickey Mouse-themed attire, formed a queue outside the green and grey wooden house on a Sunday. This marked the first time that Walt Disney’s childhood home was made accessible to the public, thanks to the Chicago Architecture Centre’s Open House Chicago event. The organizers’ aim was to preserve Disney’s legacy, offer a glimpse into the upbringing of the pioneering figure in animated cinema, and instil inspiration in the young residents of the neighbourhood to chase their own aspirations.
Elias Disney, the father of Walt Disney, acquired the land located at 2156 N. Tripp Ave. in 1891. In the subsequent year, he obtained permission to construct the two-story wooden cottage at a cost of $800, where Flora, Walt’s mother, resided Shortly after, Roy was born in a second-story bedroom, on December 5, 1901, in the same house where Walter Elias Disney, their father, was born.
Some biographers speculate that Elias’s tales of the fair may have influenced Walt’s creation of Disneyland and some of its beloved attractions like Tomorrowland, Frontierland, and Main Street, U.S.A.
Additional rooms were added at the back of the home, now used as office space. The Disneys vacated the residence in 1906, relocating to Missouri. They later returned to Chicago in 1917 when Walt was a teenager, residing in the North Lawndale neighbourhood, with Walt attending McKinley High School.
In 1991, Chicago attempted to designate the property as a historical landmark, but the owner opposed the designation and prevailed. Today, the new owners are collaborating with the city to restore the home to its 1901 condition. Approximately 10 years of fundraising efforts have brought the home to its current state, but more contributions are necessary for a complete restoration and furnishing.
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