BEST HISTORIC BUILDING

Dana-Thomas House

Be honest: You’ve never heard of Susan Lawrence Dana, who first owned this gem in the heart of the Aristocracy Hill neighborhood, or Charles C. Thomas, who acquired the home after Dana departed and later sold it, with furnishings intact, to the state of Illinois for $1 million in 1981. What a bargain. This home, built in the years before World War I and designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is considered an architectural masterpiece, and it is easy to see why. It is a monument to America’s most famous architect that remains fresh after all these years. Runner-up: The Lincoln home