Naperville native Ginny Wolf Chivas has lived in her home on Edgewater Drive in Naperville for decades.
She often spends her mornings watching the sun rise and enjoying the view from her balcony.
“My folks built this home in 1960, 1961. I was 13 when we moved in, and it’s just been an absolute delight my whole entire life,” said Chivas.
Unique in its geometric design, the house holds dear memories for the 78-year-old, like when she and her parents handmade the bricks for the living room fireplace. But its history is also noteworthy for another reason.
The home was built by the late Don Tosi, a prominent Naperville architect and builder, who was friends with Chivas’ parents. It features raised angled ceilings, an open-concept living room area, and large windows that let in ample sunlight.
Preserving the legacy of Naperville’s mid-century modern builder
Her house is one of 172 homes featured in a new book by Naperville Preservation Inc. titled “Don Tosi’s Naperville, A 2025 Architectural Survey.” It’s a catalogue of Tosi buildings still standing in Naperville, based on a survey conducted by architecture firm Preservation Futures Inc.
“Don Tosi was Naperville’s iconic mid-century modern builder…We recognized that a lot of his buildings are at risk of being lost. We felt it was important to catalog them and capture them now,” said Becky Simon, a Naperville Preservation Inc. board member and owner of a Tosi home.
Born in Chicago in January 1923, Tosi kick-started his architecture career in the early 1950s after serving in the military during World War II.
He studied under famed architect Bruce Goff and worked with him in Aurora, notably collaborating on the Sam and Ruth Van Sickle Ford House, one of the most famous homes in the city and a national landmark.
Tosi then took his talents to Naperville from the late 1950s to the 80s, building during a time when the city was developing significantly.
“Don was emblematic of that growth. I think the reason that Naperville Preservation was so interested in capturing his work and cataloging his work was that he really is a symbolic builder of that time,” said Jane Burke, a member of Naperville Preservation Inc.
‘Signature orange doors’ and other signs of a Tosi home
Tosi’s buildings can be found in several neighborhoods throughout the city, including Cress Creek, Hobson West, and Maplebrook.
From their futuristic appearances to the signature orange doors, they’re hard to miss.
“If you’ve ever been driving around town and you’ve seen an interesting house, maybe with deep eaves, a dramatic balcony, or orange front doors, you’re looking at a Don Tosi,” said Simon.
Inside the houses, there’s even more to love, according to Chivas.
“I love the openness of our home and the unusual angles of the ceilings and the valances that separate the walls from the ceiling, and the unusual, beautiful triangular window, which is a hallmark feature of Don’s,” said Chivas.
Survey two years in the making
It took over two years to create the new book, which was funded in part by a grant from Naperville’s Special Events & Community Arts Commission.
It was unveiled at a book release party at Nichols Library last month and is now available for purchase on the Naperville Preservation website. Officials also plan to have it available at local libraries so that residents learn more about Tosi’s impact on postwar development.
“This period of mid-century modern was so important in the Midwest, and especially here in Naperville, because it was a time of social change,” said Burke.
For Chivas, the intertwining of both her homebuilder’s history and her own history makes her house a special spot.
“It’s cozy and comfortable, like your favorite pair of old jeans, and it just is a delight with all the memories that are in our home, and I know how very fortunate I am,” she said.
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