Before the Holmby Hills estate commonly known as the Playboy Mansion was providing a template for fearless and gaudy grotto-centric pools the world over, there was another Playboy Mansion, a 70-room brick-and-limestone residence in Chicago's Gold Coast built in 1899 for a surgeon named Dr. George Swift Isham. Hugh Hefner acquired it in 1959, turning the basement into his original grotto and installing a brass plate on the door inscribed with the classic Latin saying si non oscillas, noli tintinnare ("if you don't swing, don't ring"). Donated to the School of the Art Institute in Chicago in 1974 when Hefner decided to head West for good, the mansion was used as a dorm until 1993, when it was gutted and turned into luxury condos, one of which was just listed for $2.995M.
Last sold in 2012 for $2.3M after being listed for just over a week (and before that in 2007 for $2.2M), the 3,250-square-foot unit is looking a little bit tamer than when it made its last appearance; the color palette is a bit more muted, and the animal print rugs are fewer. Even back then, it didn't exactly scream "lothario's party palace," which is once again both a blessing and a slight disappointment. Check out the highlights below, and head to Curbed Chicago for the the full gallery.
· Rare Unit in the Classic Playboy Mansion Lists for $2.995M [Curbed Chicago]
· Lust for History? Another Slot Opens in Playboy Mansion [Curbed Chicago]
· All Playboy coverage [Curbed National]