Eben Ezra Roberts

Eben Ezra Roberts (1866–1943) was an American architect known for his work in the early modern Prairie style, pioneered by Frank Lloyd Wright, as well as other traditional residential styles. Roberts was born in Boston and attended architectural school at Tilton Seminary in New Hampshire. After moving to Chicago he eventually established a practice in the suburb of Oak Park, Illinois. In Oak Park alone, Roberts designed over 200 houses.

Early life Eben Ezra Roberts was born in Boston and attended public school. His father trained him in both mechanical and freehand drawing as he grew up. His family moved to Meredith, New Hampshire where Roberts' education continued in public schools there. He went on to study architecture at Tilton Seminary, now known as Tilton School, in New Hampshire.

Career In 1888 Roberts moved to Chicago where he worked as a site superintendent for S.S. Beman at Pullman, on the south side of the city. Roberts remained at that job until 1893. Roberts moved to the Chicago suburb of Oak Park in 1893 and established his own practice which eventually grew to become the largest architecture firm in the village of Oak Park, rivaling even architecture giant Frank Lloyd Wright's practice. Wright and Roberts were not, themselves, professionally associated, other than the fact that they were competing architects.

Once in Oak Park Roberts focused on residential work until he moved his office to Chicago in 1912 where he focused on larger, commercial projects. Roberts' practice in Oak Park grew quickly and he soon employed several draftsmen. Despite eventually working in Chicago, Roberts remained an Oak Park resident until he died in 1943. Roberts and his wife Rossie Roberts (née Willey) lived in the Eben Ezra Roberts House on Superior Street in Oak Park for most of the time they were in the village. At that home, now a contributing property to the U.S. federally Registered Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic District, Roberts and his wife raised their two children Margaret and Elmer C. Roberts. In 1930 the pair designed the Borden Dairy Building on Vincennes Road in Blue Island, Illinois in the Art Deco style.

Works and style The E.J. Wiswall House, an E.E. Roberts building in DeKalb, Illinois. Roberts designed buildings in many styles but after he began accepting mostly commercial commissions he favored Prairie style and its emphasis on horizontal lines. It is his work in this early modern style and the architectural transformation that took place in the early 20th century for which he is remembered.

Other works 1111 South Boulevard in Oak Park, theater building later adapted for use as film production space for Atlas Educational Film Company. Extant.

1136 Ontario Street in Oak Park, 12-unit residential building constructed in 1926. Extant.