When the 1894 Bagley House was put on the market as a teardown in 2021, Frank Lloyd Wright enthusiasts around the country braced themselves for the terrible loss of one of the iconic architect’s most significant early works. Fortunately, Safina Uberoi and Lukas Ruecker, a couple restoring a Wright-designed house in Cincinnati, came to the rescue. 

After purchasing the Bagley house, they commissioned architectural historians Julia Bachrach and Jean Follett to nominate it as a Hinsdale Landmark. The duo soon discovered that Grace Bagley had worked closely with Jane Addams and made substantial contributions to reform efforts that impacted Chicago and the nation. 

With this information in hand, Bachrach, Follett and Uberoi set out to curate an exhibit about Grace Bagley's extraordinary life.