Eben Ezra Roberts was an American architect known for his work in the early modern Prairie style, as well as other traditional residential styles.

 

After attending architectural school at Tilton Seminary in New Hampshire, Roberts moved to Chicago around 1889. He worked for architect S. S. Beman as a site superintendent in Chicago’s Pullman neighborhood. In 1893, he began his Oak Park practice. By 1912, Roberts had grown his business to become the largest architectural firm in Oak Park (designing over 200 houses), and he decided to move operations to Chicago to focus on commercial buildings. In 1923, he formed a partnership with his son Elmer. In 1926, Roberts was forced into semi-retirement due to illness.

 

During his lifetime, E. E. Roberts designed buildings of many different styles, including Classic Revival, Medieval Revival, Shingle, Queen Anne, and Early Modern.  As his style progressed, his buildings took on a more rectilinear character. Certain Roberts structures embody characteristics of the Prairie School buildings designed at the time.  The rectilinear character of these structures, which relate them to the Prairie School, began to evolve Roberts' work between 1895 to 1912. In 1900, Roberts' work underwent a distinct shift with the design of the A.J. Redmond House in Oak Park. His residential work began to adapt a more horizontal emphasis, featuring broad windows, hip roofs, wide eaves and large pier-supported porches dominating the front facade. Examples of his Prairie-style, Oak Park residential work are E. E. Roberts. Henry P. Magill, Frank W. Hall, Charles Schwerin and Louis Brink Houses. An example of Roberts' commercial work in Oak Park is the Prairie style Scoville Square.

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Source: https://oprfmuseum.org/people/ee-roberts