Meeting Agenda

CITY OF GENEVA, HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION

MEETING LOCATION & HPC INFORMATION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016 MEETING

Location: 1. Call to Order

Geneva City Hall 2. Roll Call Council Chambers 109 James Street 3. Approval of Meeting Minutes September 20, 2016 Geneva, IL 60134 4. HPC Review of Building Permit Applications

Time: A. 202 Campbell Street CASE 2016-097 7:00 p.m. Applicant: Jim Vanderveen Application for: Expansion of Parking Lot New Screenwalls at Property Corners Commissioners: Scott Roy, Chairman B. 212 South First Street CASE 2016-108 Applicant: Barb Lennartz, Owner Steve Collins Renewal by Andersen, Contractor Al Hiller Application for: Window Replacement George Salomon Paul Zellmer C. 401 Ford Street CASE 2016-109 Applicant: Safeguard Construction Co., Contractor Carolyn Zinke Application for: Exterior Siding Replacement

Staff Liaison: 5. HPC Public Hearings

Michael A. Lambert A. 11 North Fifth Street CASE 2016-084 Preservation Planner Applicant: Havlicek Buuilders, Inc., Owner Application for: Front Porch Modifications 630/938.4541 [email protected] B. 810 Dow Avenue CASE 2016-110 Applicant: Martin and Amy Hilmer, Owners Application for: Historic Landmark Designation 6. Secretary’s Report (Staff Updates) 7. Announcements A. From the Commission B. From the Public

8. Adjournment Next meeting November 15, 2016

The Historic Preservation Commission meeting is audio-recorded and summary minutes are taken by a recording secretary.

The City of Geneva complies with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Individuals with disabilities who plan to attend this meeting who require accommodations in order to allow them to observe and or participate in this meeting are required to contact the Planning Division at 630/232.0818 at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting to allow the City of Geneva to make reasonable accommodations for those persons.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES 109 James Street Geneva, Illinois 60134

September 20, 2016, 7:00 p.m.

1. Call to Order

Chairman Roy called to order the September 20, 2016 meeting of the Geneva Historic Preservation Commission at 7:00 p.m.

2. Roll Call Present HPC: Chairman Roy, Commissioners Hiller, Salomon, Zellmer, Zinke Absent: Commissioners Collins Staff Present: Historic Preservation Planner Michael Lambert Others Present: Al and Lorraine Oshsner, 627 Campbell St.; Art Jackson, 8S606 Marie St., Big Rock; Colin and Glorianne, Campell, 18 S. Sixth St.; Tim Feeney, 516 Campbell St.; Greg Miller, MH Development Group, 120 N. 2nd St.; Jason Talaue, 416 Stevens St.; Josh Burton, 416 Stevens St.; Mike Dixon, 22 N. Third St.

3. Approval of Meeting Minutes – August 16, 2016

Motion by Commissioner Zellmer, seconded by Commissioner Salomon to approve the August 16, 2016 minutes. Motion carried by voice vote of 4-0-1 (Hiller abstains)

4. HPC Review of Proposed Development Concepts

A. 202 Campbell Street (Case No. 2016-097); Applicant: Jim Vanderveen; Expansion of Parking Lot; New Screen Walls at Property Corners. (Applicant was not present.) Preservation Planner Lambert reviewed the petitioner’s proposal which is a proposal to provide additional parking in the street yard of the property. As part of the proposal, there will be 15-inch high screen wall (no details provided) to screen the parking. Per the Historic Preservation Ordinance, the HPC is to comment on improvements affecting zoning requests.

Commissioner Hiller appreciated the applicant leaving some of the front greenspace. Regarding the fencing being proposed, Mr. Lambert had no information on what material would be used for the 15- inch screen walls. Chairman Roy and commissioners appeared to be fine with the parking but did want to see the details of the screen wall at the next meeting.

B. 627 Campbell Street (Case No. 2016-105); Applicant: Al and Lorraine Ochsner, Owners: Application for Proposed Demolition. Mr. Lambert reported that this request was to investigate any concerns the commissioners may have regarding a proposal to demolish the on- site building. Lambert reviewed the history of the site dating it back to the early 1900s. He, along with other local historians believe the home was mid-19th century and probably was relocated from another site to the current location between 1911 and 1916. Many of the lots located in this area at that time were not developed and would have been located along the industrial spur towards Batavia. Other historical facts about the property over the past 50 years were shared, in brief, by Mr. Lambert. Historic Preservation Commission September 20, 2016

Owners Al and Lorraine Ochsner were present. Mr. Ochsner explained he and his wife were getting older and much maintenance of the house and yard was required by the two of them. The neighborhood was being developed with various townhomes project, which they both viewed as a positive direction for Seventh Street. Mr. Ochsner said that only four single-family homes existed between State Street and South Street along Seventh Street. He described the options that he and his wife were considering: keep the home and sell it as is or sell the property to a contractor to demolish the current home and develop it with townhomes, possibly. He was not sure if the lot could support a townhome development.

Per Mr. Lambert, in discussing this matter with the owners, it was determined that only three units could be constructed on the property, per the options available through the zoning code. Per Commissioner Zellmer’s question about the possibility of rotating the main part of the home on the lot and whether it would still be considered contributing, Mr. Lambert explained it probably would depend on how the remainder of the lot was developed. If 75% of the exterior was exposed, the project may qualify for a tax credit. Also, he stated that since the house was already moved once prior, it would play into the evaluation as to whether or not the relocation was damaging to the historic significance of the property. Mr. Lambert pointed out that the structure’s orientation was visually stronger on the Campbell Street block than on the Seventh Street face. He noted the regular rhythm of street-facing residences on Campbell versus those on Seventh Street.

Commissioner Hiller shared that most of Seventh Street was “townhouse row” already which he believed was due to developers seeing the value of the historic district and constructing on the fringes of the district. Referring to the project on Campbell Street, he recalled that the commissioners kept the main home on the site but the developer constructed around the historic building. He believed that given the constraints by the Secretary of Interior Standards, the Commission would probably deny a demolition permit but said the petitioners could follow-up with the City Council, who could override the HPC’s recommendation. Additionally, he added that the commissioners would want to see the details of any proposed project prior to demolition. Hiller stated that structures were not usually demolished unless under extenuating circumstances.

Mr. Lambert asked the commissioners to consider determining whether the entire building would stay or whether the pre-1945 portions should remain. He suggested a compromise by incorporating the original historic two-story portion but removing the remaining portions, thereby giving the petitioners another option to consider. Commissioner Zellmer mentioned this was why he was interested in seeing if the historic portion of house could be rotated and allow for a more viable lot coverage for another two units. Lambert stated that if the Ochsners were interested in that option, setbacks would have to be considered by the developer and, there was the chance that if the building was rotated, the petitioners would have to sacrifice a non-conforming setback on Seventh Street and would have to develop the site to new setback requirements in accordance with current zoning requirements.

Commissioners appeared to be in agreement to remove the post-1945 structures. Chairman Roy discussed that the commission had seen a number of good solutions to renovating older homes and one option would be to keep the older home and have the ability to add two more units, thereby maximizing the value of the lot. Adding to that, Commissioner Zellmer pointed out to the applicants that keeping the historic structure with any new development probably would make it easier for the project to go through the commission again.

5. HPC Review of Building Permit Applications

A. 217 S. Second Street, (Case No. 2016-095); Applicant: Marcel Demarteau, Owner; Application for Front Porch Modifications. Mr. Lambert reviewed the proposal on the overhead and

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indicated the terrace looked original to the home. The existing porch wall was concrete and appeared to be failing with the front spalling and cracking. The concrete steps also appeared to be breaking down, etc. Lambert explained that the owner wanted to replace the brick, concrete/ mortar-washed wall in front of the main slab with a stone veneer to update the appearance of the home. Concept sketches were provided. Per Lambert, the basic form was not changing; only the material was changing. He could not find any examples of terraces with stone walls in front of them because none were located in the historic district.

Mr. Arthur Jackson, with Jackson Masonry, was present for the petitioner. Mr. Jackson explained that the deteriorating wall was supporting a floor porch which he envisioned would fail in the near future. He explained how the improvements would be constructed for the new porch. The patio, he confirmed, was fine. Mr. Jackson stated he could repair the steps to a certain point; however, looking to the right of the home where the steps were located, he explained that the wall would be extended out and the stairs fixed because currently it was a “fall risk.” Commissioner Zinke inquired about the height of the wall, wherein Mr. Jackson said the new wall would match the existing height. As to having a railing, Lambert summarized that the code officer would have to review that matter, but he would not support a railing since they were not historically appropriate for this type of house. Commissioner Hiller and the other commissioners preferred the owner to use a brick veneer for the wall versus a stone veneer, since Hiller believed it worked better with the character of the house, and should include a limestone cap. Mr. Jackson would speak to the owners about that detail.

Staff then asked for guidance on a color range for the brick. Commissioners suggested antique or a dark red brick.

Motion by Commissioner Hiller, seconded by Commissioner Zellmer, to accept the proposal for 217 S. Second, as presented, with the following conditions: 1) that the face veneer stone be replaced with veneer brick, 2) that the brick be dark or antique in color, and 3) the cap stone will be limestone. Roll call:

Aye: Hiller, Salomon, Zellmer, Zinke, Roy Nay: None MOTION PASSED. VOTE: 5-0

B. 522 Fulton Street (Case No. 2016-098); Applicant: Mike Bruno, Owner; Application for Front Walkway Paving Change. Mr. Lambert explained that the owner’s existing flagstone walkway was not original or historic. It was being replaced with a slightly wider brick paver walkway approximately 30” inches in width and would not affect the lot coverage. The owner, Mr. Bruno, was not present.

Mr. Colin Campbell, 18 S Sixth Street, on behalf of the owner, discussed that the owners were replacing a temporary flagstone walkway with a more appropriate walkway that was in keeping with the era of the building. The brick being used was an antique brick which was found on the property and was more appropriate for the home. The owner wanted to move the flagstone walkway closer to the house to allow for more garden space as well as shield the electrical boxes/air conditioner from the street and to extend it under the wood shed.

Commissioner Hiller pointed out that the project could not be seen from the street and, in fact, the bricks being used were dug up from the property and were used on the property at some prior time. Commissioners were fine with the proposed project.

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Commissioner Zinke moved, Commissioner Salomon seconded, to approve the walkway project, as presented. Roll call:

Aye: Hiller, Salomon, Zellmer, Zinke, Roy Nay: None MOTION PASSED. VOTE: 5-0

C. 120 N. Second Street (Case No. 2016-099); Applicant: Greg Miller, MH Development Group, Eric & Amy Allen, Owner; Application for Rear Addition Gable Modifications. Mr. Lambert described this proposal as a combination of two projects, one of which was beyond the purview of this commission – the rear two-story addition – and the modification of some of the gables in the 1931 Tudor-Revival style home. Lambert referenced the modest addition and stated the roof line met all of the design guidelines and the SOI standards. Submitted architectural drawings were referenced, but Mr. Lambert pointed out that as the drawings were being submitted there was a last minute request to alter the gable details from the half timbering shown in the drawings to be a wavy shingle, which he said was found in some Tudor Revivals. Having difficulty locating an example of the wavy shingles, he did state it was common to use wavy edge clapboard material as well. Two examples were shown – one from the Randolph pre-built kit home and one from the blueprints of the Cotswold (phonetic spelling) cottage.

Mr. Lambert indicated he did not know what the original material was under the aluminum siding but said it sounded like the petitioner wanted some direction as to whether or not the wavy shingle siding would be appropriate for the gable. He also stated he did speak to Mr. Miller if he would be open to restoring the original siding if it was in good shape.

Mr. Greg Miller, with MH Development Group, and contractor for the owners, stated it was the second time for the owners to own this home. He noted the siding that would be removed and replaced, which included all of the gables on the house, the east and west gables on the garage, and the gable on the new addition. Mr. Miller was not sure what type of material was under the aluminum siding but said the owners were amenable to seeing what was under it and would restore it if possible.

Chairman Roy believed the commissioners preferred to see the material restored ideally, followed by replacement in kind, or lastly, either replace with a wavy shingle or wavy clapboard.

Mr. Miller briefly explained the siding was a last minute change by the owner who sent him a Pinterest picture with “scalloped” shingles, which the commissioners did not prefer. Lambert tried to explain the difference between wavy shingles and what is found on the East Coast.

Motion by Commissioner Zellmer, seconded by Commissioner Zinke to approve the plans submitted for 120 N. Second Street as drawn, with the gables having three (3) options in order of preference: 1) remove the aluminum siding and restore the existing material; 2) replace the material in kind or 3) either replace with a wavy shingle or wavy clapboard siding. Roll call:

Aye: Hiller, Salomon, Zellmer, Zinke, Roy Nay: None MOTION PASSED. VOTE: 5-0

D. 416 Stevens Street (Case No. 2016-104); Applicant: Jason Talaue, Legend Exteriors & Construction; Application for Siding Rehabilitation or Replacement. Mr. Lambert reported this home (circa 1900 - 1915) came in to the City with a permit for a roof and a

4 Historic Preservation Commission September 20, 2016

replacement of aluminum siding. The roofing was administratively approved but the commissioners needed to review the siding to comply with the commissioner’s siding policy. Lambert reviewed the options under the policy. Providing some background, Mr. Lambert discussed that the siding was damaged in a hail storm which led to why it was being removed. He felt the home might be a bit earlier than 1915 due to the gables being stripped of siding and it was probably a shingle gable which was closer to 1905 to 1910. Pictures of the home, as of today, followed with Lambert pointing out the rotting siding and water infiltration. The east side of the home had narrow clapboard siding. The aluminum contract installers removed the window trim around most of the windows or either built it out. Additional photos portraying the existing conditions after the siding was removed, followed.

Lambert also explained that some of the original siding was damaged from the removal of the aluminum siding and not necessarily from old damage. Most of the severe damage was noted on the rear (south) elevation of the home, which the commissioners did not regulate. Details followed. Per staff, the non-contributing garage still had aluminum siding intact. Further clapboard rot and water damage on the south side of the home were pointed out in photographs\.

Mr. Lambert reported that when the aluminum rake edge was installed it pierced rake molding at the gable ends, causing some rot and additional damage. He did not know if that was a correctable item or if a new rake would have to be installed. Lastly, he said the applicant had requested to use an LP siding in place of the old siding.

For the owner, Mr. Jason Talaue, with Legend Exteriors & Construction, described that when they originally removed the aluminum siding they wanted to restore the architectural features. However, after discussing the matter among his own staff, it was determined the wood was in an advanced state of deterioration using an asphalt-based underlayment for the siding. Mr. Talaue shared the details on how the siding removal took place, noting that some wood splintering took place as a result of the asphalt being stuck to the aluminum siding during the removal process. Therefore, he felt restoration would be costly but he intended to match existing features of the home including the 3-inch reveal clapboard, using LP Smart Side (smooth side) and replacing the exterior wood features with composite material and matching the profile.

Asked if that would include returning the shingles to the gables, Mr. Talaue wanted to discuss that with the commissioners since he removed the siding but found nothing underneath it. He asked for the commission’s direction regarding that detail.

Discussing the Azek trim board (composite) material, Lambert reminded the Commission that the Commission had approved the use of the material in smaller details but had not allowed it on the front facade of a historic building. (Mr. Talaue provides an Azek trim sample to the commissioners.) Mr. Lambert estimated about 20% or less of the siding on each of the three sides of the house, visible from the public right-of-way, was beyond salvage.

Commissioners appeared to be fine with the applicant using the Azek material as long as the original details were being matched. As for the gable material, Mr. Lambert said given the age of the structure, the gable material could have included saw-tooth or a straight shingle. Should Mr. Talaue receive the approval for the siding replacement, Commissioner Zinke asked whether he would remove the original clapboard before the new siding went up or would he cover the house with the new siding, wherein Mr. Talaue stated it would depend on the lead paint mitigation, which was not factored in. However, he stated he would attempt to remove the wood first so as not to have a rotting substrate underneath and then replace it with the new clapboard.

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Costs to side the home, were provided to Commissioner Zinke by Mr. Talaue. When asked what it would cost to paint the house, Lambert and Mr. Talaue agreed it was probably less money to paint the home, but mitigating the lead paint had not been factored in nor some of the labor. Commissioner Zinke stated she would not support the removal of the siding and preferred that the structure be repaired and painted.

While they were reluctant to approve the Azek material, Hiller and Chairman Roy were of the agreement that not much of the original trim remained and for this case they would support using the Azek material. Zinke, elaborated on the positives of the Azek material since the trim on her back porch was made of Azek. Lambert, however, cautioned the commission stating that since the Azek was a PVC material, darker colors tended to make the material expand significantly. He reminded the applicant that the use of Azek would limit color choices made by owners in the future.

Mr. Talaue responded that the owners wanted the home to remain white and as close to the original as possible. The Azek material would be used mainly in the soffit and fascia areas close to the roof line. The window sills and trim would be the LP Smart Side trim package (he distributes sample of the “cedar siding” trim to commissioners). Lambert inquired whether the window sills would be a “picture frame” type or a traditional sill, wherein Mr. Talaue and his supervisor, Josh Burton, believed LP Smart Side (?) did not make a traditional sill and the sills would have to be “emulated through a picture-frame detail” or “through other direction by the commission.” Zellmer discussed some options that could be used because he preferred the sill looking more historically appropriate and did not support “picture-framing” the historic windows.

Mr. Lambert voiced concern about this matter and wanted to ensure that the commissioners were giving good direction and he did not want the commission to agree to several materials and then have Mr. Talaue return to the insurance company with a figure that was beyond the owner’s budget. Mr. Talaue believed the project was meeting budget. Lambert said another option, should the costs increase significantly, and if all of the main trim was salvageable, the contractor could repair/replace, in-kind, the field with the proposed siding and restore the historic trim and trim details.

Mr. Talaue’s supervisor, Josh Burton, came forward and stated that he spoke with the owner, Bridgett Lescher, about what she wanted out of the project. He stated the maintenance of the wood siding would be labor intensive, the LP siding had a life-time warranty, and the profile cold be matched exactly. Around the windows would be the LP Smart Trim. The sills would be picture-frame since there was no example to go from or, he stated, the commission could provide an example which could be replicated. Zinke then asked Josh Burton, the project supervisor, to provide the costs associated with re-siding the house versus repair/painting it. (As an aside, Mr. Lambert clarified that term “restoration” for this project was not accurate since the request was consistent with remodeling and, in fact, was a replication [i.e., creating a new facade to mimic the original structure] and—if approved—the Commission was setting a precedent.) Josh Burton, the project supervisor, also believed that he would probably use the Azek material, in standard profiles, for the missing crown molding/bed moldings.

Referring to the Secretary of Interior Standards, Commissioner Zinke stated that there were issues with Standards 2 and 6.

Motion by Commissioner Zellmer, seconded by Commissioner Salomon to approve the exterior siding replacement proposal for 416 Stevens Street and allow the use of the LP Smart Siding and the removal of the existing wood siding, as presented. Also allowed is the use of the Azek PVC trim for the soffits and fascias. The window trim can be either LP Smart siding material or Azek material with the profiles to be approved by staff. Picture

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framing the windows will be avoided. In addition, the front and side gable ends are to be shingled with a historically appropriate period style. Corner boards are to be Azek or LP Smart siding. Roll call:

Aye: Hiller, Salomon, Zellmer, Roy Nay: Zinke MOTION CARRIED. VOTE 4-1

6. Secretary’s Report/Staff Update

Mr. Lambert apologized for accidentally leaving off a concept review (proposed renovation) for 22 N. Third Street. The applicant is proposing to purchase the building which will include two tenants. Renovations will include a large expanse of glass along Third Street as well as on the south elevation with a contemporary look to it. Lambert explained that this building was coming before the commissioners because in the 1999 survey it was listed as a non-contributing building due to it not meeting the age criteria; however, in the updated National Register District, the building came back as a contributing building because it did meet the age criteria and not necessarily for the architecture. The proposal will include a redesign of the parking lot. Elevations from the northeast and south facades were shown with Lambert stating the petitioner was preserving the five square windows of the original building. Mr. Lambert summarized that the question before the commissioners was whether the architecture was significant enough that it should be respected in greater detail to what was being proposed or was the building not that significant of a building architecturally.

Petitioner, Mr. Mike Dixon, clarified that two business will exist in the building – the Nosh Restaurant and a hair salon. He elaborated on the extensive work that would take place inside and outside the building and believed the proposal would anchor the northern part of the downtown very well and the area overall. The rear half of the building will be expanded to match more of the eastern half and a 1200 sq. foot garage will be removed. Originally, Mr. Dixon said there was a home on the site with the garage, but then the house was razed and the garage remained. A commercial space was added on top of that. Mr. Dixon discussed that some of the front parking spaces located on the southeast corner of the site will be removed to allow for an outdoor seating area -- one that is fully open and another, towards the rear, where the windows can be opened during three seasons. The parking will be reconfigured.

Positive comments followed by the commissioners. Mr. Dixon stated the material on the base of the building will be the same as the building, but with a painted brick. Because the budget is tight, he said the focus is to reuse what is there. There will be some panels added on the east facade with the focus on Third Street. Mr. Dixon shared the quick timeline for the project and hoped to return with plans in a few weeks. Commissioners had no concerns.

Returning to his staff report, Mr. Lambert confirmed he received two Open Meetings Act compliance certificates. This year he processed 106 permits as compared to last year’s 96 permits. He has begun contacting people regarding the October 17th presentation of the preservation awards in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Preservation Act. Next week he will begin the field work to update the survey work that was not completed on the National Register. Lambert also expects the commission’s first landmark designation will occur next month, along with a demolition request. Brief updates followed on the courthouse improvements which improvements, he said, appeared to be running behind schedule.

7. Announcements

A. From the Commission – None.

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B. From the Public – None.

8. Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 9:20 p.m. on motion by Commissioner Zellmer seconded by Commissioner Salomon. Motion carried unanimously by voice vote of 5-0.

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Community Development Department Report

CITY OF GENEVA, HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION

AGENDA ITEM 4A 202 Campbell Street October 18, 2016 Proposed Site Modifications

Applicant: BACKGROUND James Vanderveen The existing property includes an asphalt-paved, surface parking lot to the west side of the former residence.

Per Section 10-6-11 of the City of Geneva Historic Preservation ordinance. The HPC shall provide comment to the Zoning Board of Appeals, regarding the appropriateness of a zoning variation request. The HPC may approve

the proposed work subject to zoning approvals. Request:

Permit Review for Expansion REQUEST of Parking Lot into Street Yard, Sidewalk Expansion, and The Applicant is seeking approval of an expansion of the existing parking Installation of Landscaped lot into the street yard (towards Campbell Street). Additionally, the Screenwalls at Property Applicant is seeking approval of the limited expansion of sidewalk Corners pavement with Hollandstone pavers and the installation of 15” high screenwalls, constructed of Estate Wall block at the Campbell Street corners of the property.

HPC Case Number: STAFF ANALYSIS 2016-097 The proposed pavement expansion is in an area of the street yard where a driveway is currently utilized for automobile parking; the HPC approved, in concept and subject to zoning approval, the parking area expansion at its September 20, 2016 meeting. The proposed sidewalk expansion is a

small area at the intersection of the Campbell Street public sidewalk and Staff Liaison: the private sidewalk that leads to the main entrance; the proposed Michael Lambert pavement is a contrasting brick paver. The proposed, 15” high screen Preservation Planner walls are of Estate Wall block and are proposed to be constructed only 630/938.4541 along Campbell Street. The proposed screen walls are in compliance with [email protected] the City of Geneva “visibility triangle” requirements at the corner of Campbell and South Second streets. The HPC may wish to evaluate whether or not the screen wall feature should be repeated at the

southeast corner of the property, along South Second Street for continuity of appearance for the lot along street frontages. Any and all HPC action regarding this request shall be moved subject to zoning approval. HPC comments, including approved work, will be forwarded to the Zoning Board of Appeals for consideration during its review.

Agenda Item 4A Page 2 of 2 Concept Review

Community Development Department Report

CITY OF GENEVA, HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION

AGENDA ITEM 4B 212 South First Street October 18, 2016 Proposed Window Replacement

Applicant: BACKGROUND Barbara Lennartz, Owner The Applicant proposes to replace two, vinyl, Patrick Dailey / Renewal by double-hung windows Andersen, Contractor towards the rear of the north (side) elevation of a contributing, circa 1900, gable-front, single-family residence.

The existing 1-over-1, Request: double-hung windows are, reportedly, vinyl window replacement units Permit Review for replacement that replaced earlier wood windows. of existing vinyl windows with Andersen clad windows at a REQUEST side elevation visible to the The proposed windows are visible from the public right-of-way and street subject to HPC review.

STAFF ANALYSIS HPC Case Number: The windows proposed for replacement are near the rear of the home. 2016-108 The proposed replacement windows are of the same style and configuration as the original and existing windows. The proposed window units have a stile and rail (sash) that utilize wider profiles than traditional

Andersen windows, more closely replicating the appearance of a historic wood window. Staff Liaison: Michael Lambert The proposed windows appear to meet the visual appearance Preservation Planner requirements of the Geneva Window Policy. 630/938.4541 [email protected]

Agenda Item 4A Page 2 of 2 Concept Review

Community Development Department Report

CITY OF GENEVA, HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION

AGENDA ITEM 4C 401 Ford Street October 18, 2016 Proposed Siding Replacement

Applicant: BACKGROUND Safeguard Construction Co., The Applicant began siding removal and replacement without a permit; Contractor the City of City of Geneva Code Enforcement officer issued a Stop Work Order.

Request: Permit Review for replacement of existing aluminum siding and historic stucco and earlier wood siding with new material.

HPC Case Number: 2016-109

Staff Liaison: Subsequently, a permit for siding repair and/or replacement has been Michael Lambert submitted, on behalf of the Owner, by the Applicant. Preservation Planner 630/938.4541 Because of its appearance on the 1869 Birds’ Eye Map of Geneva, the [email protected] home was likely constructed in the Greek Revival style after 1855 but before 1869. The home was enlarged between 1912 and 1923; the

clapboard exterior was likely covered with lath and stucco during this time period.

The two story porch at the front was added, apparently, after 1945, and

finished with stucco (the lath from the earlier period is attached on the bias; the later lath is installed horizontally). During the mid- to late 1960s, the exterior of the home was clad in steel siding with an 8” exposure and metal corner bevels.

Agenda Item 4C Page 2 of 3 Permit Review

1912 Sanborn-Perris Fire Insurance Co. Map 1923 Sanborn-Perris Fire Insurance Co. Map

The property was sold in 1866 to George S. and Irene Burr; G. S. Burr operated a dry goods store at the southeast corner of Third and State streets beginning as early as 1850. Irene Burr, a widow, remained in the home until about 1904. The house was sold in 1915 to Nels Swanson, who may have completed the major expansion, including the original stucco exterior, between 1915 and 1923. Swanson sold the home at 401 Ford Street to Hattie Bowman, who died in 1962. The Bowman family retained the Ford Street house until after 1969, when a mortgage was executed (likely for property improvements including the installation of the steel siding).

REQUEST The Applicant is seeking direction and approval for new exterior siding at the residence. The Applicant has submitted proposals for LP Smartside (a composite siding); HardiePlank (a cement fiber siding); and authentic cedar siding. The Applicant proposes to replace trim with new wood or synthetic material and is seeking direction from the HPC in compliance with the Geneva Siding Policy. The Applicant has not furnished an estimate to restore the stucco exterior finish of the circa 1912 – 1965 era, when the house was enlarged to its present size. Agenda Item 4C Page 3 of 3 Permit Review

STAFF ANALYSIS No historic images of the residence have been provided; therefore, it is difficult to determine the architectural character of the home prior to the installation of the steel siding during the 1960s. The present configuration of the house dates to the 1915-1962 period, when the house exterior was stucco. However, remnants of the early clapboard siding have also been exposed during the siding removal work.

Community Development Department Report

CITY OF GENEVA, HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION

AGENDA ITEM 5A 11 North Fifth Street October 18, 2016 Proposed Demolition

Applicant: BACKGROUND Havlicek Builders, Inc., Owner The Applicant has submitted a request for the demolition of a Commercially Converted Residence, pursuant to the requirements of the Geneva Historic Preservation Ordinance.

Request: Public Hearing for the consideration of the demolition of a Commercially Converted Residence

HPC Case Number: 2016-084 The original residence on the site was erected by the Oliver Coleman family before 1860. The architecture of the gable front residence is more indicative of the late 1860s and, therefore, the house may have been Staff Liaison: erected by Charles and Adeline Everts. Mrs. Everts sells the property at Michael Lambert the northeast corner of State and Fifth streets to John Freeman in 1886. In 1892, a sizable addition was made to the Freeman home. Preservation Planner 630/938.4541 The Freeman house was moved from its State Street location to the North [email protected] Fifth Street address prior to June 1926, for the construction of a gas station along the State Street frontage. A series of legal issues prevented

the gas station’s completion and opening until September 1928.

Between 1930 and 1945, a large, two-story addition was constructed at

the southeast corner of the Freeman home. In 1949, a brick, one story

dining room was added to the south side of the former Freeman home and the house was converted to Karen’s Swedish Tea Room, a well-known Geneva restaurant for many years. The restaurant later became the Inglenook Pantry. After the home served as a restaurant, an addition of concrete block was erected on the north side of the building.

Agenda Item 5A Page 2 of 2 Concept Review

Subsequently, the first floor and basement of the former Freeman House were altered extensively for food preparation and storage. A front porch appears to be of the 1926-1930 period but is not the original porch of the Everts-Freeman era. The original, primary window at the first floor of the front façade has been altered; the 1949 brick addition is not complementary to the original architecture of the Everts-Freeman home. The upper floor was remodeled to a lesser degree and original, upper floor windows with bracketed lintel details remain; however, the window sash have been removed or replaced in many, if not most, locations. REQUEST The Applicant is seeking to demolish the structure in its entirety.

STAFF ANALYSIS Other than its gable form and some of its second floor windows, the property at 11 North Fifth Street retains little of its pre-1926 architecture. Large sections of its north and south walls have been removed to accommodate later restaurant functions and the first floor has been largely reconstructed over time. The Geneva Building Official and representatives of the Geneva Fire Department have toured the building and have identified numerous code deficiencies and environmental concerns with the present condition of the structure. When considering the historic significance and integrity of the property, the HPC should consider the condition and integrity of other local, gable-front residences of the post-Civil War era for comparison and evaluation (examples to be provided at the HPC meeting).

Community Development Department 22 South First Street Geneva, IL 60134 Phone: (630) 845-9654 Fax: (630) 232-1494

NOTICE TO: All property owners within 350 feet of property located at 11 North Fifth Street, legally described below.

FROM: Michael A. Lambert, Preservation Planner

DATE: October 5, 2016

RE: HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Geneva Historic Preservation Commission has received an application for a public hearing from Havlicek Builders, Inc., related to a request for demolition of the property located at 11 North Fifth Street, legally described as follows:

THAT PART OF THE SOUTHEAST QUARTER OF SECTION 3, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 8 EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:

LOT 5 (EXCEPT THE SOUTHERLY 65 FEET) IN BLOCK 40 OF THE ORIGINAL TOWN OF GENEVA IN THE CITY OF GENEVA, KANE COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

THE PETITIONER IS REQUESTING Demolition of an existing, Commercially Converted Residence within the Geneva Historic District in accordance with the provisions of City of Geneva Historic Preservation Ordinance 10-6-10.

A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER SAID REQUESTS will be held before the Historic Preservation Commission on Tuesday, October 18, 2016 at Geneva City Hall, 22 S. First Street, Geneva, Illinois, at 7:00 p.m., to which all interested parties are invited to attend. Provided they register and are sworn in by the Chairman, all interested partied are also invited to present testimony for or against the petition and cross-examine witnesses presenting testimony for or against the petition.

DOCUMENTS ARE ON FILE and available for public inspection during regular business hours at the Community Development Department office located at Geneva City Hall, 22 S. First Street, Geneva, Illinois.

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Community Development Department Report

CITY OF GENEVA, HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION

AGENDA ITEM 5B 810 Dow Avenue October 18, 2016 Proposed Historic Landmark Designation

Applicant: BACKGROUND Martin and Amy Hilmer, The Applicant has submitted a request for Historic Landmark designation Owners for a single-family residence outside the boundaries of the Geneva Historic District.

Request: Public Hearing for the consideration of Historic Landmark designation

HPC Case Number: 2016-110

Staff Liaison:

Michael Lambert The home is believed to date to circa 1854-1857 and is associated with Preservation Planner significant pioneers who contributed to the development of northeastern 630/938.4541 Illinois and the City of Geneva in the mid-nineteenth century. [email protected] REQUEST

The Applicant is seeking Historic Landmark designation pursuant to the

Geneva Historic Preservation Ordinance, based on satisfaction of the

criteria found in Section10-6-6.B.5, specifically:

a. A broad cultural, political, economic, or social association with the historic development of the nation, state, or community; and b. Identification with a historic person or with important events in national, state, or local history.

Agenda Item 5B Page 2 of 2 Concept Review

STAFF ANALYSIS The attached documentation appears to support the criteria for Historic Landmark designation, specifically as an early house that has been transformed over time in response to the development patterns of “South Geneva” and as a home that is directly associated with principal persons associated with pioneer “cultural, politic, economic and social” development of northeastern Illinois, specifically Chicago and Geneva. Community Development Department 22 South First Street Geneva, IL 60134 Phone: (630) 845-9654 Fax: (630) 232-1494

NOTICE TO: All property owners within 350 feet of property located at 810 Dow Avenue, legally described below.

FROM: Michael A. Lambert, Preservation Planner

DATE: October 5, 2016

RE: HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING

Please be aware that you may have received another copy of this public hearing notice. Kindly disregard that notice; the following notice includes the correct date of the public hearing.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Geneva Historic Preservation Commission has received an application for a public hearing from Martin “Marty” and Amy Hilmer, related to a request for Historic Landmark designation for the property located at 810 Dow Avenue, legally described as follows:

THAT PART OF THE NORTHWEST QUARTER OF SECTION 10, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 8 EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:

LOTS 23 AND 24 AND THE NORTHWESTERLY 25 FEET OF LOTS 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 AND 30 IN BLOCK 2 OF THE SUBDIVISION OF BLOCKS 6 AND 7 AND A STRIP OF LAND 33 FEET WIDE LYING WEST OF AND ADJOINING LOTS 13 TO 32 AND 37 OF SAID BLOCK 7 AND ALSO OF THE NORTH 21 FEET OF THAT PART OF EASTON AVENUE LYING SOUTH OF AND ADJOINING THE SAID 33 FOOT STRIP WEST OF AND ADJOINING LOTS 13 TO 32 AND 37 OF SAID BLOCK 7, ALL IN CHEEVER’S ADDITION TO GENEVA IN THE CITY OF GENEVA, KANE COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

THE PETITIONER IS REQUESTING individual Historic Landmark designation for an existing, single- family residence outside of the boundaries of the Geneva Historic District in accordance with the provisions of City of Geneva Historic Preservation Ordinance 10-6-6.

A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER SAID REQUESTS will be held before the Historic Preservation Commission on Tuesday, October 18, 2016 at Geneva City Hall, 22 S. First Street, Geneva, Illinois, at 7:00 p.m., to which all interested parties are invited to attend. Provided they register and are sworn in by the Chairman, all interested partied are also invited to present testimony for or against the petition and cross-examine witnesses presenting testimony for or against the petition.

DOCUMENTS ARE ON FILE and available for public inspection during regular business hours at the Community Development Department office located at Geneva City Hall, 22 S. First Street, Geneva, Illinois.

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HISTORIC LANDMARK NOMINATION APPLICATION PACKET / INSTRUCTIONS

Community Development Department Michael A. Lambert, Preservation Planner 22 South First Street 630.938.4541 Geneva, Illinois 60134 [email protected]

INITIATING A HISTORIC LANDMARK NOMINATION Applicants nominating a property for Historic Landmark designation are required to submit a complete Historic Landmark Application Packet to the Preservation Planner in accordance with the City of Geneva Code - Title 10, Chapter 6. A Pre-Application Meeting between the Applicant and the Preservation Planner is required prior to submitting a completed application for Historic Landmark designation. The purpose of the Pre-Application Meeting is to provide direction to the Applicant; review the nomination process and requirements; and establish a reasonable timeline for completion of the nomination. Nominations prepared independent of a Pre-Application Meeting or made in formats other than this format will not be accepted.

REQUIRED APPLICATION DEPOSIT Applicants must include an Application Deposit in the amount of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), submitted at the time of filing a Historic Landmark nomination. Each Applicant is responsible for all direct expenses associated with the processing of a Historic Landmark nomination, including—but not limited to—public notice publication, mailings, recordation and transcription of public meetings and / or hearings, attorneys’ fees, and/or staff time. Any unused portion of the deposit will be refunded to the Applicant. If additional fees are incurred above and beyond the initial amount of the Application Deposit, the Historic Landmark nomination process will not continue until such time that the Applicant has paid any accrued additional expenses.

SUBMITTING A COMPLETE NOMINATION Applicants are required to provide both a printed and digital copy of the Historic Landmark Nomination form (Part 1, consisting of 2 sections and Part 2, consisting of 10 sections).

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NOMINATION REVIEW PROCESS Upon receipt of a complete Application Packet for the designation of a property as a Historic Landmark, the Preservation Planner will review the nomination—within ten (10) working days of filing—for completeness and accuracy. Following the review, the Preservation Planner will forward written comments to the Applicant. The Applicant is required to revise and return the amended Historic Landmark Nomination within fifteen (15) working days; failure to provide a revised nomination in a timely fashion will result in an automatic withdrawal of the nomination. Within five (5) working days and simultaneous to the Staff review of the Historic Landmark nomination, the Preservation Planner will notify the Owner(s) of Record of the nominated property when the Applicant and Owner(s) of Record are not one in the same. Once a complete and accurate Historic Landmark application is received by the Preservation Planner, a Public Hearing will be scheduled for the next regularly-scheduled meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC). Applicants are required to make a brief presentation (5-15 minutes) of their Historic Landmark nomination at a public hearing, conducted by the Geneva Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) and attended by members of the public. Applicants should be prepared to answer questions about the nomination that may arise at the public hearing. The Historic Preservation Commission may request additional information from the Applicant prior to making a recommendation regarding Historic Landmark designation and may continue a public hearing to allow sufficient time for the Applicant to submit additional information as requested. Within forty-five (45) calendar days of the conclusion of the public hearing, the Historic Preservation Commission shall make a recommendation to the City Council based on the nomination’s support and validation of the identified criteria for designation (Section 4 of the attached Historic Landmark Nomination form). Upon hearing the Historic Preservation Commission’s recommendation for or against the proposed Historic Landmark designation, the City Council shall approve or deny the Historic Landmark designation by ordinance. In the case of Owner Objection, the City Council may only grant Historic Landmark designation with an affirmative vote of at least 2/3 of the aldermen.

RECOGNITION OF HISTORIC LANDMARK DESIGNATION Following approval of a Historic Landmark designation, the Owner(s) of Record and the Applicant will be notified of the City Council’s action, and City of Geneva maps—as well as related information—will be modified to reflect the Historic Landmark designation. No plaque or monument will be provided by the City of Geneva for Historic Landmark properties; however, the Owner(s) of Record may install, at their own expense and in accordance with local zoning laws, a plaque or monument identifying the property as a City of Geneva Historic Landmark.

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HISTORIC LANDMARK NOMINATION CHECKLIST All required items shall be submitted by the Applicant, as a single packet, prior to the published deadline for the scheduled public hearing / meeting of the Geneva Historic Preservation Commission (HPC). Staff review will not begin until Staff has determined that both the print and digital copies of the nomination packet are complete. Applicants shall provide the following required documents when submitting a Historic Landmark nomination application:

A complete and signed copy of the attached Historic Landmark Nomination Form

Sketch drawings of each floor / level of the building proposed for designation (pdf format clearly legible at 11” x 17”)

Photographs of all exterior sides of the building and photographs of all significant architectural features or details (jpeg format, minimum resolution 300 dpi)

Historic images, if available (jpeg format, minimum resolution 300 dpi)

Additional graphics, images, and illustrative aids (pdf format clearly legible at 11” x 17”)

List of all major, reference source used to complete the Historic Landmark nomination narrative

One (1) copy of a list containing the name and mailing address of the Owner(s) of Record and Permanent Index Number (PIN) of all properties within three hundred fifty feet (350’) of the nominated property (Exhibit A)

One (1) copy of the Affidavit of Accuracy (Exhibit B) signed by the Applicant or the person who created the list of property owners within three hundred fifty feet (350’) of the nominated property (Note: The City of Geneva employs a Notary Public at City Hall for your convenience.)

Unsealed, unstuffed, stamped envelopes addressed to each of the property owners within three hundred fifty feet (350’) of the subject property. The envelopes shall list the City of Geneva, not the Applicant, as the return addressee: City of Geneva 22 South First Street Geneva, Illinois 60134

A refundable, Application Deposit in the amount of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00)

Questions may be directed to Michael A. Lambert, Preservation Planner, during regular office hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm.

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HISTORIC LANDMARK NOMINATION PART ONE - APPLICANT / OWNER INFORMATION

Community Development Department Michael A. Lambert, Preservation Planner

22 South First Street 630.938.4541

Geneva, Illinois 60134 [email protected]

SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS

Prior to completing this form, consultation with the Preservation Planner is highly encouraged. The Preservation Planner is generally available during regular office hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm.

To be deemed “complete,” a Historic Landmark nomination submittal must include (in the format specified) sufficient photographs, drawings, and other relevant information to adequately describe the nominated property. A complete nomination must include the property’s date of construction, historic use, current use, and period of significance as well as a narrative that identifies the property’s historical development, important people, significant architectural or site features, and existing conditions.

When a complete application for Historic Landmark designation is submitted, Staff will prepare a report containing preliminary findings regarding the stated historic, architectural, and aesthetic significance of the subject property. The report will be forwarded to the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) which will hold a public hearing at the next regularly-scheduled meeting of the Commission. The Applicant must attend the public hearing and be prepared to answer questions regarding the nomination of the subject property.

Please legibly print or type the required information on the form provided; submittals in any other format will not be accepted.

1. APPLICANT INFORMATION Attach additional sheets if more than one person is making application.

Name: Phone:

Street: Geneva, Illinois

Email: Fax:

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2. OWNER INFORMATION List all Owners of Record, use additional sheets if necessary. For a property that is held by multiple individuals or a trust, please provide the name and address of the property agent identified by the Kane County Recorder. In the case of ownership by a corporation or similar entity, please provide the name of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or President as the Owner.

Owner 1

Name: Phone:

Street: City/State:

Email: Fax:

Owner 2

Name: Phone:

Street: City/State:

Email: Fax:

Instrument of Ownership

Individual Joint Tenancy Trust Corporation Other:

If the subject property is owned by a trust, corporation or other entity, please provide the following information: Entity Name:

Title of Owner: Trustee, Agent, Guardian, President, CEO, etc.

Has the Applicant notified the Property Owner(s) that the subject property is being nominated for local Historic Landmark designation? (check all that apply)

Yes, in person Yes, by telephone Yes, in writing No

Has the Property Owner(s) indicated support or lack of support for nomination of this property?

Support of Nomination Lack of Support of Nomination If the subject property is held by a Corporation, please attach the adopted resolution regarding support or objection of the proposed Historic Landmark nomination, if available

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HISTORIC LANDMARK NOMINATION PART TWO - PROPERTY INFORMATION

Community Development Department Michael A. Lambert, Preservation Planner 22 South First Street 630.938.4541 Geneva, Illinois 60134 [email protected]

1. PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION

Common Name:

Historic Name:

Street Address:

Tax Assessor’s Parcel Identification Number (P.I.N.): - - -

Tax Assessor’s Parcel Identification Number (P.I.N.): - - - Attach additional PINs on a separate sheet of paper, if necessary

Description of Property Boundaries or Legal Description (use an additional page, if needed):

Attach a map indicating the property location and the boundaries of the property nominated for Historic Landmark designation.

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2. PROPERTY CLASSIFICATION

Building Structure Object Landscape Site

3. SIGNIFICANT DATES

Original Date of Construction:

Date(s) of Major Alteration(s):

Period of Significance (may be a single date or range):

4. CRITERIA FOR DESIGNATION Please indicate which of the following criteria apply to the nominated property. (check all that apply) Property is located within the corporate boundaries of the City of Geneva.

Property is at least 30 years old.

Property possesses integrity of design, materials, workmanship, setting, location, feeling, and association.

Property has broad cultural, political, economic, or social association with the historic development of the nation, state, or community.

Property is identified with a historic person or with important events in national, state, or local history.

Property has distinguishing characteristics of an architectural type inherently valuable for the study of a period, style, method of construction, or use of indigenous materials or craftsmanship. Property is the notable work of a master builder, designer, or architect whose work and/or activity has significantly influenced a period of Geneva’s development. Property has an improvement of historic, architectural, or cultural significance which is threatened with demolition by public or private action.

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5. PROPERTY RECOGNITION

Is the nominated property and/or landmark to be nominated (or any portion of it) listed in or nominated to either the Geneva; Kane County; Illinois; or National Register of Historic Places?

Yes No

If yes, in which of the following:

Geneva Kane County Illinois National

Please attach a copy of the nomination form(s) for any property which has been granted landmark status at the County, State, and/or National levels.

Is the nominated property Significant or Contributing in the Geneva Historic District?

Significant Contributing Not-Applicable

6. PROPERTY STATUS

At the time of application, is the nominated property (check all that apply):

threatened by demolition or neglect? (attach a detailed explanation)

considered for replacement by new development? (attach a detailed explanation)

likely to remain in present condition with no known threat?

vacant or not in use?

7. PROPERTY DESCRIPTION

Provide photographs of all exterior sides of the building and photographs of all significant architectural features or details. Photographs should clearly depict the existing character, condition, and integrity of the nominated property. Historic photographs and/or plans of the property to be nominated are encouraged. Provide photographs in print and digital format (jpeg/300dpi).

To the extent possible, provide a sketch plan of each level of the building(s), structure(s), and/or object(s) associated with the nominated property. If the nominated property contains a significant landscape, please provide a sketch plan of the historic landscape plan and its significant components.

Architectural Description of the Nominated Property. Describe the physical appearance of the exterior(s) of the building(s) located on the nominated property, identifying the building shape,

HL-07.2016 form, details and general characteristics from the ground plane to the roof. Include a description of each nominated building, structure, object, landscape, or site on the subject parcel. (Use additional pages, if needed):

For each building, structure, or object associated with the nominated property, complete the following descriptive checklist (use additional pages, if needed):

Primary Building Function  Domestic / Residential  Recreational / Cultural  Commercial / Office  Agricultural  Social / Fraternal  Industrial  Government  Health Care  Education  Transportation  Religious  Landscape  Funerary  Other:______

 The nominated property is a natural or purposefully-designed landscape.

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Architectural Style (check all that apply)

Recommended reference: A Field Guide to American Houses by Virginia & Lee McAlester  Early Classic Revival (1843-1868)  Spanish Colonial Revival (1920-1930)  Late Classical Revival (1889-1960)  Prairie (1905-1930)  Regency (1849)  American Foursquare (1895-1945)  Greek Revival (1840-1865)  Craftsman (1910-1930)  Gothic Revival (1855-1910)  Bungalow (1915-1930)  Carpenter Gothic  Minimal Traditional (1940-1955)  Italianate (1848-1890)  Cape Cod (1930-1960)  Stick Style (1853-1895)  Ranch (1950-1970)  Queen Anne (1869-1930)  Split-Level (1955-1965)  Shingle (1890-1905)  Mid-Century Modern (1945-1970)  Romanesque Revival (1872-1892)  Contemporary (1950-2000)  Colonial Revival (1869-1945)  Mansard (1930-1970)  Dutch Colonial (1895-1930)  Styled Ranch  Neoclassical (1905-1930)  New Traditional (1955-Present)  Tudor Revival (1905-1935)  Other:

Number of Stories (check one)  Basement  2 Stories  Single Story  3 Stories  1.5 Stories  Other:______

Foundation (check all that apply)  Limestone  Uncertain  Brick  Other: ______ Concrete

Siding/ Exterior (check all that apply)  Wood  Vinyl/ Aluminum  Brick  Other: ______ Stucco

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Windows Operation (check all that apply)  Double Hung  Awning  Casement  Hopper  Fixed / Picture  Other: ______Frame / Sash Material (check all that apply)  Historic Wood  Replacement Clad  Historic Metal  Replacement Vinyl  Other: ______Glazing (check all that apply)  Clear  Beveled / Prismatic  Colored  Art / Stained  Obscure / Pattern  Other: ______Status (check all that apply)  Original  Replacement Provide a photograph of each window type at the nominated property.

If the nominated property includes more than one building or structure, attach photographs for the windows at each building. Use additional pages, if necessary.

Architectural Details (check all that apply)  Porch or Porches  Eave Brackets  Historic Street-facing Door(s)  Gable Returns / Broken Pediment  Transom(s)  Dormer(s)  Sidelight(s)  Belvedere / Lantern / Cupola  Historic Shutters  Historic Fencing  Columns / Pilasters  Pergola / Arbor / Trellis  Porte Cochere / Car Port  Other: ______ Balcony or Balconies

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Roof Features Form  Flat / Shed  Gable  Hipped  Other: ______

If an attic gable is present, which way does it face?  Visible to street  Visible to the side

Material  Wood  Tile  Asphalt  Metal  Other: ______

Chimney Is the chimney visible from the street? Yes No

Does the chimney have a distinctive shape? Yes No Is the chimney an integral part of the building wall? Yes No Provide a photograph of each chimney that is visible from the street.

8. PROPERTY SIGNIFICANCE

Attach a written statement describing the historical, architectural, and/or aesthetic significance of the nominated property. Statement should be of sufficient length and detail to describe the historic evolution, people, and events associated with the nominated property. Include major bibliographic sources and references at the end of the written narrative. (Use additional pages, if needed):

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9. APPLICANT’S CERTIFICATION I certify that I have received a copy of the submittal requirements and review procedures related to this request for designation of a property as a Historic Landmark within the City of Geneva, Illinois. I understand that I must attend the public hearing, once scheduled, and present my case for designation before the Geneva Historic Preservation Commission and, if required, before the Geneva City Council. I have reviewed the Geneva City Code requirements which relate to this application, and I certify that, to the best of my knowledge, this application submittal is in conformance with applicable ordinances.

I understand that any unused portion of the application deposit of five hundred dollars ($500), will be dispersed to me following consideration of this nomination by and final action of the City Council. Additionally, I agree to reimburse the City of Geneva for any additional professional services or costs incurred by the City of Geneva—including but not limited to—fees of attorneys, engineers, planners, architects, surveyors, and/or other consultants when those fees are directly associated with the City of Geneva making a final determination regarding this request for Historic Landmark designation of the nominated property. I further certify that all the information provided above and that the information contained within any documents submitted herewith is true and accurate, to the best of my knowledge.

______Signature of Applicant Date

10. OWNER’S CERTIFICATION OF SUPPORT (complete if Owner is in support of designation) I certify that I am the Owner or designated agents for the Owner(s) of the nominated property and hereby affirm my support for designation of the property as a Historic Landmark within the City of Geneva, Illinois.

______Signature of Owner or Authorized Representative Date

Historic Preservation Commission Staff Use Only

Case Number: ______HPC Meeting Date: ______

Application Complete: ______Yes ______No HPC Distribution Date: ______

Date Received: ______City Council Distribution Date: ______

Staff Acknowledgement: ______Action: ______HPC ______City Council

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EXHIBIT B

STATE OF ILLINOIS ) ) SS ) COUNTY OF KANE

AFFIDAVIT

The undersigned, being duly sworn on oath, deposes and says that the attached list of property owners comprises, to the best of the Affiant’s knowledge, a true and complete list containing the names and addresses of the persons to whom the current real estate tax bills are sent for those premises lying within three hundred and fifty (350) feet in all directions of the property lines of the Subject Property.

______Printed Name Signature

Subscribed and sworn to before me this _____ day of ______, 20____

______Notary Public

THE MARSHALL-JUDSON HOME CIRCA 1850-1855 810 Dow Avenue - Geneva, Illinois

Overview

Apparently, the Marshall-Judson Home, located at 810 Dow Avenue in Geneva, Illinois, was built— most probably—after 1853 and before 1857. However, the origins and early history of the decidedly- working class home are not well-documented in the annals of Geneva, Illinois history. The date of construction can be estimated based only on its architectural form and a review of numerous historical records and documentation.

Situated approximately 40 miles west of Chicago, the City of Geneva, Illinois was settled in 1835. Today, Geneva is the county seat of Kane County and lies between Batavia, to the south, and St. Charles, to the north.

The area of Geneva, Illinois where the Marshall-Judson Home stands was, in 1837, outside of the municipal boundaries of the Original Town of Geneva. Lying in Section 10 of Geneva Township immediately south of Geneva, the rolling terrain lay between the wooded banks of the Fox River and the open prairies to the west. An early road through the pioneer claims followed the Fox River and connected the pioneer settlements of Kane County: Aurora, Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, and Elgin. Over time, the area, known informally as “South Geneva,” evolved from woodlands to farms with residences erected along the road south to the village of Batavia.

With the dawn of the Industrial Age and the arrival of the railroads, the farmland south of Geneva was transformed into an industrial town that disappeared more than a century ago. To facilitate the construction of the railroad and numerous spur lines radiating from Geneva, a railroad workers’ “shanty town” developed in the mid-nineteenth century along the western edge of “South Geneva.” However, throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, large homes on sizable estates were built along the road to Batavia (present-day Batavia Avenue), including the expansive Fabyan Estate. At the close of the nineteenth century, many of the early pioneer claims were assembled as “The Cheever Addition to the Original Town of Geneva,” a late Victorian-era proposal for large homes on large lots. However, the planned development never materialized to the extent envisioned, primarily the victim of an economic recession. In the early twentieth century, another development of country estates was proposed but, again, failed to be realized due to the Great Depression.

Consequently, “South Geneva” includes a wide assortment of lot sizes and architectural styles, reflecting its chaotic development over more than a century. In response to changing attitudes and ideas about housing in suburban America, the area was re-platted several times and slowly developed throughout the twentieth century. During the 1930s and through the 1970s, many modest homes were constructed throughout the neighborhood. In recent years, many older homes have been demolished and replaced with New Traditional homes, many of the scale that was originally intended for the late nineteenth century “Cheever’s Addition.”

Within this diverse and eclectic neighborhood, few pre-Civil War era homes remain to anchor the story of the area’s earliest development. Fewer homes survive as originally constructed because of changing trends and ideas that resulted in the perpetual remodeling of many early houses. Within “South Geneva,” homes were altered over time to reflect the changing socio-economic environment of the neighborhood.

One surviving example at Geneva, Illinois is the Marshall-Judson Home. Built during an era of frenzied speculation and development in northeastern Illinois, the Marshall-Judson Residence lay a short distance from the newly-established railroad that connected the cities of Geneva and Chicago. The establishment of railroads carried the influx of settlers that flocked to burgeoning American cities during the middle of the nineteenth century. However, the railroads also provided access to previously inaccessible lands lying outside American cities. Many established pioneer families and opportunistic developers followed the rail lines to escape their bustling, and often dirty, urban environments. For many residents © 2016 Google Maps of mid-nineteenth century Chicago, the small village of Geneva was an idyllic location along a direct rail line to the metropolitan hub, some 40 miles distant.

Once part of a 20 acre country estate—assembled during the mid- Marshall –Judson Home nineteenth century, the Marshall- Approximate location of 20 acre pioneer tract Judson Home served as a convenient and secluded retreat for some of © 2016 Google Maps Chicago’s earliest residents of wealth and prominence. Located immediately south of the Original Town of Geneva; the 20 acre parcel was associated with some of the earliest speculators and developers of the Fox River Valley as well as medical and judiciary professionals associated with Chicago and early Illinois. Later, the Marshall-Judson Home was absorbed into the development pursuits of a flamboyant thespian and inventor; a prominent industrialist and his wife; and—finally—two, prominent, Geneva businessmen.

While the development of the land around the Marshall-Judson Home has evolved over time, including the construction and demise of the homes of many early Geneva settlers and speculators, the Marshall-Judson Residence, itself, has survived and evolved over time. Consequently, the Marshall- Judson Home stands as a testament of the transformation of “South Geneva” from untamed prairie woodlands to one of the most affluent neighborhoods in modern-day Geneva, Illinois.

The Marshall-Judson Home is nominated as a property which meets the following criteria:

lies within the corporate boundaries of the City of Geneva;

is at least 30 years old;

has broad cultural, political, economic, or social association with the historic development of the nation, state, or community; and

is identified with a historic person.

Specifically, the Marshall-Judson House, at 810 Dow Avenue, is directly associated with the development of the southwestern portion of the City of Geneva, Illinois and with several historic persons with ties to the political, social, and physical development of the region and state.

Based on extensive research, it is likely that the house at 810 Dow Avenue was built during the ownership of James A. Marshall or his brother-in-law, Edwin Judson between 1854 and 1858. The Marshall-Judson Home has been a fixture in South Geneva for more than one hundred fifty years, surviving numerous re-development schemes for the surrounding area. While the property is not nominated for its association with

Early Settlement Near the Original Town of Geneva

The Original Town of Geneva, known as La Fox or Herrington’s Crossing when first settled, was established by James C. Herrington and his wife, Charity Herrington in 1835. Although platted in 1835, it was not officially incorporated as a village until 1858. Between 1860 and 1870, the population of the small town had increased by only 86 residents.

Crawford Herrington, a younger brother of James C. Herrington (who had founded the settlement that would become the City of Geneva), arrived on the banks of the Fox River by the spring of 1835.

When the Herringtons arrived, several other settlers had laid claim to land in the area. One of those early pioneer settlers was Arthur Eakin (also Aken and Aiken), who came to the Fox valley from Indiana and—according to historical accounts—built the second house on land that lay within the original town limits. That early home was “a (log) cabin near Mcwayne’s spring” that—in 1835--lay “a short distance below (the) Ware place.” Arthur Eaken “sold out in a very early day, and left the country.” Another early account identifies his pioneer cabin as “just below the Curtis farm (South Batavia Avenue, near Peck, west side of the Fox River in 2016) where, “in June 1834, lived another Hoosier, Arthur Aken.” When Aken sold out, he “continued with so many of his class to break land for others to cultivate.”

These accounts seem to confirm that Eaken; his wife, Elizabeth; and son, John (b. 1833 in Indiana), first settled on the claim west of present-day South Batavia Avenue and, soon thereafter, located to the site at present-day 311 South First Avenue (within the Original Town). In the second home is where children Thomas (b. 1835) and Rebecca (b. 1836) were born. Crawford and Rachel Herrington came to live in this cabin in 1835 as well; there a son, James, was born in 1835 and is considered the first child born within the city limits.

Crawford and James Herrington bought out Arthur Eaken’s 160 acre claim in late 1835 or early 1836. The Herringtons had amassed extensive acreage throughout the township, primarily south and southwest of the Geneva settlement. Within a short period of time, Crawford Herrington brought suit against his brother, James, in an attempt to collect on an unpaid debt.

Possibly to acquire needed cash, the Herringtons sold a 160 acre parcel of their holdings, in 1837, to Franklin Stratton, a Pennsylvania neighbor of Crawford Herington. Stratton purchased the land for the sum of $1,500 before Crawford Herrington moved back to Pennsylvania.

Political and Social Connections in Early Illinois and Property Acquisition at Geneva 1835 - 1860

The early years of Geneva development are tangled in the pioneer development of northeastern Illinois as well as the legal and political history of a newly-developing state. Many of the individuals associated with the early history of the property knew each other as lawyers and judges and other professionals, well-connected through the small, political network of Chicago and Illinois at the time. Names of prominent and well-known Chicago pioneers that were associated with the Geneva property include: Spring, Woodworth, Marshall, Judson, and others. In addition to their legal and business connections, several people involved with the property at present-day 810 Dow Avenue were related to each other by marriage.

The services of early Illinois attorneys were often settled for clients in exchange for land claims or other goods. The acquisition of land was a valuable asset as the region was attracting new settlement, investment and opportunity for industrious and well-connected speculators. Giles Spring, a colorful pioneer lawyer and judge who met an early death due to alcoholism, was a partner with Grant Goodrich, and the two—like their colleague Judge John Dean Caton—had a prosperous practice that yielded the titles to many parcels of land across Illinois.

Giles Spring and his wife, Levantia, were well-acquainted with James H. Woodworth, the one-time mayor of Chicago, who—upon the death of Giles Spring in 1851 and Levantia Spring in 1854—became the legal guardian of one of the Spring children.

James H. Woodworth, in turn, was part of the Chicago social circle that included James A. Marshall, an early Chicago mercantile operator as well as engaging successfully in real estate speculation, money-lending, and insurance. Marshall’s wife, Rosanna, introduced her sister Mary Melicia, to Edwin Judson, a prominent, pioneer dental surgeon and a widower in the early years of Chicago.

The Impact of the Railroad

By 1850, Geneva’s population had reached a new high of 827. That year, the first railroad service began in Geneva. Critically important to the fledgling community’s development, the new railroad consisted of a two-mile branch line located on the east side of the Fox River. The line continued north to St. Charles where it connected Geneva to the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad, which ran in and out of Turner Junction (now West Chicago). Until 1857, the Danford Reaper Works acted as a depot and freight house for the rail line.

With the arrival of the first permanent railroad line in 1853, the town of Geneva was connected to Chicago and towns west of the Fox River. Train service to and from Geneva expanded rapidly, with three trains passing through the community, daily, by 1857: The Fulton and The DeKalb (passenger trains) and The Sterling (a freight train).

By 1892, thirty-one passenger and thirty-six freight trains passed through Geneva each day. The arrival of the railroad dramatically changed Geneva. With the railroad came a large influx of Swedish and Irish immigrants. Sizable populations of Italian immigrants followed in the early twentieth century. The Geneva community had been a small community of residents from rural New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and New England, but the town quickly transformed into a cosmopolitan community with a sizable immigrant population. In fact, by the turn-of-the-twentieth century, one out of every two Genevans had been born overseas.

Expansion of Original Town of Geneva

Geneva, during the late 1870s remained tranquil. Its restful atmosphere continued to attract “people of means,” many who built fine residences in the town. The excellent train service to Chicago made commuting relatively simple. A Rand McNally travel booklet titled, (sic) “Summer Resorts of the Northwest” paints this interesting picture of Geneva for the prospective pleasure seeker of 1879:

…many professional men who really belong to Chicago have their homes in Geneva, and the society is, therefore, very agreeable. It is a quiet, restful place, where there is a perpetual air of a New England Sunday afternoon…. On warm summer days the shaded street are cool and quiet; nothing is astir for hours except on one or two of the business corners and about the ugly courthouse…. There is a sort of natural atmosphere of dolce far niente* about the whole place, which is extremely grateful to people who have been working or pleasure seeking on the high pressure plan for seven or eight months of city life. Toward evening everything is gay and active.

*literally: "sweet doing nothing" = "delicious idleness" or sheer, indulgent relaxation and blissful laziness

Historical accounts noted that, in 1887, no empty residence could be found within the village limits of Geneva.

In the early 1890s, the City of Geneva and its residents actively pursued that attraction of new industry to the growing village. That push for new industrial development was no more evident than in the southwest part of Geneva. A wooded section south of the corporation line, along the line of the Batavia branch of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad (C & NW), and which included the Conant / Sickler farm was purchased by Henry B. Fargo, H. W. Gaunt, and P. T. Bartholomew. The plan was to erect a large factory complex and to subdivide the remaining property into small lots which would be made available as home sites. The City agreed to buy 200 of the lots, with the remainder to be sold individually by the development company. With the acquisition of additional land, and with spur lines of the Chicago and Northwestern and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroads running through, the site had unparalleled shipping potential available to prospective factory owners. Moreover, it was the first major industrial site not located on the Fox River. (The Fargo, Gaunt, & Bartholomew Subdivision, in 2016, is bounded by Meadows, Dryden, Dunstan and Kendall, but originally included more land in that area.)

However, in 1893, Fargo sold out “to two of the Peck brothers, Hobler and William Van Nortwick.” Van Nortwick’s Appleton Manufacturing Company eventually opened an industrial plant on the site, Van Nortwick and the Peck brothers bought 10 acres along South Batavia Avenue, providing east and west outlets for the streets of their industrial town. The company town was officially known as Van Nortwick, but it was also known as “Fargo” and “Appleton” as well as “South Geneva.” From north to south, the streets of South Geneva were: Brown, Sickler, Ray, Bennett, Fargo, and 1892 Geneva Township Map Kendall with the official southern city Detail – HistoricMapWorks.com limits for Geneva drawn mid-block between Sickler and Ray streets.

Unfortunately, the new, industrial town was plagued with fires and other disasters and, by 1910, no remnants remained of the development survived.

Another development of 1892, also in southwest Geneva, was “The Cheever Addition to the Original Town of Geneva,” north of Fargo, Gaunt, and Bartholomew’s was a great contrast in style and intent. “Cheever’s Addition,” as the development was known, was promoted far and wide by means of a handsome illustrated booklet, featuring some of Geneva’s finest homes, new public buildings, and its most picturesque sights. The booklet was widely distributed throughout Iowa, primarily because the attorney for the Cheever

family served as a director of several banks Promotional Booklet for Cheever Addition at Geneva, Illinois - 1892 located across the state. Cheever’s Addition with 20 acre pioneer tract and Marshall- Judson House identified.

1892 Map of Geneva – courtesy of Geneva History Museum

While Van Nortwick floundered and “Cheever’s Addition” struggled to realize its intended potential, the year 1893 was marked with significant and steady growth in northwest Geneva.

The first major development was the platting of the Wilcox Addition, west of the St. Charles spur track and north of State Street. Following the Wilcox Addition of 1893, several new plats formed the “Northwest Additions” to the Original Town of Geneva: Pleasant View Addition in 1909 (9 block area north of State Street and west of Anderson Boulevard); Elmwood Addition in 1909 (9 block area east of Anderson Boulevard to the C & NW spur line); Grandview Addition in 1911 (5 block area immediately north of Elmwood addition); and Grote and Carlisle’s Addition in 1912 (west of Anderson Boulevard and immediately north of the Pleasant View Addition).

Simultaneous to the growth in the northwest part of the city, the Frank Sandholm Addition was added south of East State Street and north of the Chicago & Northwestern (C & NW) Railroad on the east side of the Fox River. South of the railroad line, the Illinois State Training School for Girls opened in 1893 with a large “cottage plan” campus.

The Evolution of the Southwest Additions to the Original Town of Geneva

The history of the development of “South Geneva” is a complex story of pioneer land claims; the pioneer-era practice of turning over land titles to attorneys in lieu of cash payment; and assemblages of land by would-be developers and land speculators. Often, early transactions were not officially recorded and the details of some business arrangements have been lost to time.

According to documents at the Geneva History Museum, the property that became “Cheever’s Addition” (which encompassed the Marshall-Judson Home) evolved as follows: Arthur EAKIN (Geneva resident 1834- c.1840) transferred his claim (about 1836), prior to land sales in Kane County (1842) to Franklin STRATTON who secured land patent for the tract in 1843. It was not uncommon to receive a land patent for a tract of land many years after it was purchased. The patent to Franklin Stratton was signed by President Tyler (or on his behalf) within a short time of the purchase; however, Stratton had claimed the land at Geneva seven years prior to receiving the official title.

Before 1841 (possibly as early as 1838), Franklin and Caroline STRATTON of Pennsylvania conveyed Tracts B and N to Ralph HASKINS, a bachelor.

Franklin STRATTON died in 1846, leaving the remaining portions of his original land purchase to his widow, Caroline, and adult and minor children. Presumably, Giles SPRING received a 20 acre tract of land at Geneva (in lieu of cash payment) from the STRATTON heirs related to their on-going disputes over land claims. By the act of a Special Image of Land Patent issued to Franklin Stratton in 1843 – Commission held at Geneva, Caroline United States Bureau of Land Management Records STRATTON and her adult son, Charles STRATTON, were compelled to convey a 20 acre tract to James WOODWORTH on 19 November 1855. Apparently, this course of action was part of the settling of the estate of the deceased Levantia SPRING “also of the City of Chicago.”

Upon settling the estate of Giles and Levantia SPRING in May 1856, James WOODWORTH, Executor of the Levantia SPRING Estate, conveyed the same 20 acre tract acquired from Franklin STRATTON to James MARSHALL, a pioneer physician and businessman of Chicago. The record of the sale includes the 20 acre tract “together with all and singular the tenements, hereditaments, privileges and appurtenances thereunto belonging…,” which is the first such language in land records for this tract, suggesting that the property had been improved with some sort of house, barn, orchard, or some similar semi-permanent improvement. Apparently, the Marshall-Judson House, the subject of this nomination, had been erected upon the southwest corner of this parcel by May 1856. James MARSHALL conveyed the same 20 acre tract to Dr. Edwin JUDSON, one of Chicago’s earliest dentists, in May 1856. Dr. Judson secured a chattel mortgage in November 1858, presumably to erect a larger home on the northeast corner of the 20 acre tract (and, in 2016, erroneously designated as the Giles Spring House).

Charles STRATTON conveyed Tract K to Dr. Edwin JUDSON in 1866, expanding the Judson country estate from the original 20 acres purchased a decade earlier.

Dr. Edwin and Mary JUDSON conveyed the 1866 parcel, in 1867 and 1868, to Joseph R. and Henrietta PAYSON; Payson and his second wife, Jerusha, conveyed the land to John B. ATWATER.

Franklin Stratton Family (1836 – 1865)

Franklin Stratton was born 01 Jul 1801 in Massachusetts and died 30 Sep 1846 (location unknown, probably Meadville, Crawford County, Pennsylvania). On 12 Jul 1829, Franklin Stratton married Caroline Hotchkiss (b. 1813/15 at Connecticut and died 1881 at Meadville, Pennsylvania). Their children were Charles (1833-1909); Louisa M. (or N.) (ca. 1836 – unknown); Adelaide (1840-1914); Henry Charles (1841- 1931); Frances Ann/Anna (1843-1880); Franklin (1846-1921). All of the children are buried at Meadville, Pennsylvania except Henry, who was living at Alameda, CA when he died.

In Pennsylvania, Franklin Stratton was a neighbor and friend of Crawford Herrington, the brother of James and Charity Herrington, the founding family of Geneva, Illinois. By extension, Franklin Stratton probably knew James and Charity as well. In all probability, Franklin Stratton may have been “caught in the middle” of the dispute between Crawford and James Herrington that led to Crawford’s return to Pennsylvania.

Franklin Stratton likely never stepped foot on Geneva soil but purchased the tract of approximately 160 acres, southwest of the Original Town of Geneva, on Franklin Stratton speculation. It is unclear if purchase of 160 acres Stratton ever visited the Geneva Township tract of land; he certainly did not make any permanent improvement on the property during his tenure. Franklin Stratton died within a few years of receiving a patent (deed) on the land.

The Stratton family can be verified, through Federal census records, as residents of Pennsylvania (not Illinois) during the entire period when the Stratton family owned land in the northwest quadrant of Section 10 Geneva Township:

1840 Federal Census – Franklin Stratton Household (Crawford County, PA) Males 0-5: 1 Females 0-5: 1 5-10: 1 5-10: 1 30-40: 1 20-30: 1

1850 Federal Census – Caroline Stratton Household (Sadsbury, Crawford County, PA) Caroline 37 CT Louisa 14 PA Adelaide 10 PA Henry 8 PA Ann 5 PA Franklin 3 PA

In the 1850 Federal Census, Charles Stratton, age 17, was not living in his mother’s household but was clerking in the town of Pine (Crawford County), Pennsylvania in the store of S. C. Stratton, likely his uncle (brother of father, Franklin Stratton). Likely, Charles Stratton was forced to find work beyond the family farm in order to help support his mother and younger siblings.

1860 Federal Census – Caroline Stratton Household (Crawford County, PA) Caroline 45 CT RE: 1200 Personal: 2000 Charles 27 PA 7000 10000 Adelaide 20 PA 1200 100 Henry 18 PA 1200 1000 Ann 16 PA 1200 1000 Also Laura (probably daughter, Louisa) M. White (24) born at PA; A. McLenn White (31; son-in-law); James F. White (4; grandson); Chas. Hotchkiss (70; father); Laura Lindsley (22; unknown relationship)

Within a few years of Franklin Stratton’s death, Charles Stratton and his widowed mother, Caroline, platted “Stratton’s Addition to the Town of Geneva,” lying immediately south of the original town and immediately west of Charity Herrington’s Addition to the village. The Stratton and Charity Herrington Stratton and Herrington Additions – subdivisions were the first Map courtesy of Geneva History Museum additions southwest of the Original Town of Geneva as laid out in 1837. The balance of the Stratton’s 160 acre tract south of the Chicago & Northwestern rail line was not subdivided into town blocks or lots.

Within Stratton’s Addition, Crawford Street was likely named for Crawford Herrington, the probable instigator of the Stratton investment at Geneva.

Based on present-day maps, Stratton’s Addition in Geneva, Illinois would be situated between South Street and the Chicago & Northwestern rail line between Fourth Street and Western Avenue. The east half of Stratton’s Addition, between Fourth and Sixth streets was vacated early on. The section west of Seventh Street was largely vacated before 1900; however, a short segment of Crawford Street and Eighth Street remain as originally platted. In 2016, Creekside Drive lies within the original area platted as Stratton’s Addition.

Giles and Levantia Spring (1846 – 1854)

Giles Spring was an early pioneer lawyer in Illinois and the first lawyer in Chicago living by his profession alone. Giles Spring was born in 1807 in Massachusetts and arrived in Chicago in June 1833. Three years later he married Levantia Budlong. Spring was an associate of Grant Goodrich, another well- known, early pioneer lawyer and a contemporary of Judge John Dean Caton. Also, Giles Spring was well- known throughout northeastern Illinois and beyond, largely due to his work as a circuit lawyer in those early days. During the winter of 1836-1837, Giles Spring was at the Illinois Statehouse at Vandalia, arguing a case before the Supreme Court on behalf of his client, James Herrington of Geneva (Herrington vs. Hubbard)

According to several accounts, Giles Spring—like Goodrich and Caton and many other early Illinois lawyers—were paid for their service through the transfer of land patents and claims relinquished by their clients. Spring, like the other attorneys, amassed numerous tracts of land throughout northeastern Illinois, which—for most—paid handsomely over time.

Appointed Judge of Cook County in 1849, Giles Spring and his wife, Levantia, enjoyed their standing among the early professional men and businessmen that were building Chicago into a first class city in the mid-nineteenth century.

Giles Spring, who died at the age of only 44, was remembered by Grant Goodrich, Spring’s one- time law partner (1836-1849):

…(Giles Spring) was a phenomenon, a natural born lawyer. His education was quite limited, and he paid little respect to the rules of grammar; yet he could present a point of law to the court, and argue the facts of a case to the jury with a clearness and force seldom equaled. …his brain worked with the rapidity of lightning and with the force of an engine. In argument, he possessed a keenness of analysis…his language though sometimes homely was always forcible and strongly expressive of his thought. He was firm in attack but not offensive. …He was devoted to his clients and honorable in his practice, respected and admired by his professional brethren. As a Judge he was scrupulously impartial, upright and able. …He died…without an enemy. …He was a man of childlike simplicity in manners, as tender-hearted as a woman, and would have stepped aside to keep from treading on a worm. He was, unfortunately, a victim to the free use of intoxicating liquors, which exercised upon him peculiarly baleful influence, besides sometime interfering with his official duties. He regarded himself as inextricably involved in the toils of his evil habit, and bewailed his misfortune, apparently unconscious of his power to remove it.

Unfortunately, as several biographers have noted, Giles Spring’s penchant for liquor led to his demise at a young age. Although he was on the brink of success at the time of his death in 1851—Giles Spring never realized the handsome profit from his extensive land holdings like his contemporaries.

Levantia Spring died within three years of her husband, Giles. With the death of both parents, the young Spring children were orphaned. Family friend, James H. Woodworth, was named as the administrator of the Levantia Spring estate and temporary guardian of the Spring children.

James H. Woodworth (1854 – 1856)

James Hutchison Woodworth was born in 1804 and arrived in Chicago in 1833. Woodworth was one of the first ten men serving as Chicago’s mayor. Woodworth served the twelfth and thirteenth terms of the office of mayor of Chicago (1848-1850).

James H. Woodworth “acquired a comfortable fortune in land speculation, banking, and the milling of flour.” Woodworth also served as president of two Chicago banks; in both the Illinois State Senate (1839-1842) and Illinois State House (1842-1847); on the Chicago City Council (1845-1848); and as a United States Congressman (1855-1857).

Woodworth presided over the opening of the Illinois and Michigan Canal in 1848 and was instrumental in opening Chicago to all major railroads. His accomplishments, as mayor, transformed the City of Chicago “from a bustling frontier trading town to one of the major centers of commerce in the Midwest.” He left politics in 1850 and entered the banking industry until his election to Congress in 1855.

During the late 1840s thru the mid-1850s, Woodworth invested in real estate across Illinois— often acquiring land adjacent to or near probable railroad right-of-ways. Therefore, the property south of the railroad line through Geneva was, most certainly, a speculative investment rather than a residence of Woodworth, considering that he owned the parcel prior to 1846, during a period of active political involvement in the Illinois State House and Chicago City Council.

Woodworth was a founding trustee of the Chicago University. James Hutchison Woodworth died, unexpectedly, in 1869. Woodworth’s untimely death contributed to the bankruptcy of the Chicago University, whose reorganization resulted in the emergence of the University of Chicago and Northwestern University’s School of Law.

James H. Woodworth was a close friend of Giles and Levantia Spring in their lifetimes. It is logical that Woodworth would have served as the executor or administrator of both of their estates. In fact, James H. Woodworth became the legal guardian of one of the Spring’s minor children, Giles Henry Spring, upon the death of Levantia in 1854. Giles H. Spring lived with the Woodworth family until the 20 year old boy was thrown from a horse on Christmas day in 1864, dying a few days later.

Besides his friendship with and responsibility for the Spring family, James H. Woodworth was also a close friend of James A. Marshall. Although unprovable, it is possible that—by some undocumented arrangement—Woodworth had allowed James Marshall the first rites to the former Spring tract at Geneva as early as 1854. It is plausible that James Marshall had begun construction of a modest home on the Geneva parcel, before the parcel was sold to Marshall on 01 May 1856, because the land record notes that James Marshall was “justly indebted to James Woodworth,” acting as executor of the Levantia Spring estate. Curiously, James Marshall secured a mortgage—related to the Geneva tract of land—from James Woodworth on the very date of the sale.

The evidence for the pre-1857 existence of a house on the 20 acre parcel south of the original village of Geneva is bolstered by a singular reference that states the youngest Marshall daughter, Nellie, was born “at Geneva.” All other documentation suggests that, while living in Illinois, the James A. Marshall family—like the Giles Spring family—resided throughout their lifetimes at Chicago.

James A. Marshall Family (1854 – 1857)

James Augustus Marshall was born in England on June 12, 1809 and was an early resident of Chicago, settling there in 1832. According to most historical accounts, he remained at Chicago the remainder of his life except for a short residency at Green Bay, Wisconsin.

James A. Marshall graduated from the medical department of the University of Maryland at Baltimore in 1831. He came to Illinois to practice medicine. However, he found the small settlement was adequately served by an established physician. So, Marshall relocated to Green Bay, Wisconsin until mid- year 1834. However, by the mid-1840s, James A. Marshall was engaged in the building of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, serving as an agent for the sale of surplus land granted to the canal building corporation. James Augustus Marshall

Marshall realized significant profits from his involvement with the canal land sales…the canal whose opening in 1848 was administered by Marshal’s friend and associate, James Woodworth. Consequently, James A. Marshall was comfortably wealthy and continued to engage in the real estate and loan business until a few years before his death in April 1891.

James A. Marshall married Andalusia Shattuck in 1836; she died the following year. James A. Marshall married his sister-in-law, Marcia Roseanna Shattuck. Of that marriage, three children, James (1844-1910), Emma (1846-1911), and Cornelia (1847-1891) were born in Chicago and one more child, Nellie (1856-1886) was born, reportedly, at Geneva, Illinois.

Although Federal census records identify the Marshall residence at Chicago from 1840 through 1880, a few historical facts suggest that James A. Marshall may have erected a modest home at Geneva prior to May 1856. Marshall purchased the 20 acre site at Geneva from James H. Woodworth (to whom Marshall was “justly indebted”) on May 1, 1856 for $3,100.00. On the same date, Marshall secured a mortgage from Woodworth for $3,666.66 that was paid in full by December 1857. It is unclear to what purpose the difference of $566.66 may be attributed unless it—possibly—was to complete a residence on the property,

Also on May 1, 1856, Marshall sold the 20 acre parcel to his brother-in-law, Edwin Judson for $5,500.00. The property was improved (according to the sales document between Woodworth and Marshall) and—hypothetically—a condition of the sale of the property from Marshall to Judson may have been that a modest house was to be completed for Judson’s occupancy, hence the mortgage between Marshall and Woodworth.

The improvement identified in the 1856 sales document may be the present-day 810 Dow Avenue house, which consisted of 3 rooms on the first floor and 2 bedrooms on the second floor. Marshall’s daughter, Nellie, claimed in one statement that she was “born at Geneva in 1856.” This Geneva Township property is the only known parcel of land owned by James A. Marshall; a home on the property is the only probable location of Nellie Marshall’s birth if she was—indeed—born at Geneva.

Edwin Judson Family (1857 – 1867)

Edwin Judson was born at East Hartford, Connecticut on 22 February 1809 and arrived in Chicago in November 1840. He married Julia L. Wheat in Connecticut, and the couple had a daughter, Julia, who was born prior to the family’s departure for Chicago. Edwin Judson established his dentistry practice, by 1844, “in the parlors of the Tremont House hotel, before establishing his own office.” His wife died a few years later, leaving Dr. Judson to care for a young daughter. In 1848, Edwin Judson married Mary Melicia Shattuck of Chicago. M. M. Shattuck was the sister of Andalusia and Marcia Roseanna (Shattuck) Marshall, the wives of James A. Marshall.

The following account, written in 1896, describes the hardships experienced by Dr. Judson in his practice of dentistry throughout a large region of northern Illinois: Dr. Edwin Judson

His practice far transcended local limitations, patients coming to him from all parts of the contiguous country, many of them traveling with ox teams for a distance of one hundred miles for the purpose of securing attention at his hands. The demands thus placed upon his attention led him eventually to a certain itinerancy in his professional work, since, in addition to receiving at his office those patients from remote towns and settlements, he found it finally expedient to make visitations to these places at regular intervals, and thus became widely known throughout a wide radius of territory contiguous to the city (of Chicago).

Dr. Edwin Judson was Chicago’s first dentist; his life and professional practice were detailed in a 1911 publication, Pioneer Dentists of Chicago.

In 1857, “on account of health impaired by nearly twenty years of close application to a sedentary employment, and perhaps because of the longing for country life that his early farm life had inspired,” Edwin Judson moved to “the beautiful village of Geneva,” where he had “purchased a country residence with ample grounds.”

Another account of Dr. Judson’s retirement to Geneva stated:

In 1857, after nearly two decades of close application to professional work, Dr. Judson…removed, in that year, to the town of Geneva, in the picturesque Fox river valley, having undoubtedly been attracted thither by reason of the marked resemblance which the place bore to the New England villages so endeared him by the hallowed associations of his childhood and youth…Geneva is in appearance and character more nearly like a New England town than is any other in the State of Illinois. Here he purchased a beautiful country seat, in which he maintained his abode for ten years; after this he returned to Chicago….”

Based on these historical references, it is apparent that a home existed on the 20 acre property at Geneva prior to Dr. Judson’s arrival in 1857. Each reference states that he purchased, rather than built, a residence or estate. Therefore, a reasonable assumption is that James A. Marshall built the modest home at Geneva and, furthermore, any house on the property was not the later house that Judson erected once he had secured a chattel mortgage in 1858.

Judson’s desire for restful retirement and the historical record of his sedentary nature suggests that he was assisted by a gardener in the care of his 20 acre estate at Geneva. During the nineteenth century, the services of a gardener was not an uncommon practice and, in fact, was necessary for the daily management of many small estates and orchards. Likely, any hired help lived on the grounds of Judson’s 1860 Map with Franklin Stratton 160 acre purchase contained within red outline; John estate and occupied the A. Marshall / Dr. Judson 20 acre tract in blue outline; and Dr. Judson’s additional land modest, early home at purchases in purple outline. Approximate location of Marshall-Judson Home indicated the southwest corner of by yellow star and 1858 Judson Home (734 Shady Lane) with a black square. – Map the Judson estate after courtesy of the Geneva History Museum. Judson constructed— between 1858 and 1860—a more substantial Greek Revival home (present-day 734 Shady Lane), erroneously identified as the Giles Spring House. However, no legal or personal documents or any other recorded, historical accounts seem to support that Giles and Levantia Spring ever lived—temporarily or permanently—at Geneva.

In 1866, Dr. Edwin Judson sold his Geneva estate to Joseph and Henrietta Payson. Judson, then, retired to Chicago where he lived the rest of his days. Dr. Edwin Judson died on 03 March 1891 at the age of 81.

During Judson’s tenure, it is unclear how the Dow Avenue home was used or what modifications to the original structure may have been made. Based on physical evidence (foundation walls and floor framing), it appears that an early, modest house was enlarged prior to 1860. It is possible that the house was enlarged by James A. Marshall, when he secured the additional funds with the 1856 mortgage.

John Cochran Gault (1854 – 1865)

During the Judson tenure at the twenty acre parcel in “South Geneva,” the Federal Census for 1860 identified several vacant homes in the vicinity of Edwin Judson and his neighbors.

While it is not clear whether or not the Marshall-Judson Home (present-day 810 Dow Avenue) was one of those homes that was either vacant or occupied, it is possible that the 5-room home, for a period of time around 1860, was the residence of J. C. Gault, a railroad laborer who rose quickly to an administrative position with several important railroad lines.

John Cochran Gault was born in 1829 in Hocksett, New Hampshire. He was married to Julia A. Tilton at Hillsborough, New Hampshire on 24 June 1851. They had three children: Frank Sargent Gault (Oct. 1851-1924); Edward Everett Gault (Sep 1855 - ???); and Grace (Gault) Miner (June 1870-1950).

In 1859, J.C. Gault assumed the position of Master of Transportation for the “old Galena railroad line,” which became the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad through the City of Geneva. During his time with the Northwestern Railroad, J. C. Gault was instrumental in the establishment of railroad spur lines from Geneva to Elgin and from Geneva to Batavia. John C. Gault J.C. Gault was enumerated at Geneva in both the 1855 Kane County Census and the 1860 Federal census. Gault’s name appears in the 1860 Federal census among names know to be living in the vicinity of the Edwin Judson property. During this time, the modest, two bedroom home would have accommodated Mr. and Mrs. Gault and their two, young sons.

John C. Gault and his family left Geneva prior to 03 July 1865, when he is enumerated at Chicago. After an extensive and impressive management career with the several major railroad lines, Gault retired in 1890. He died at Chicago in 1894.

Joseph R. Payson (1867 – 1870)

Joseph Payson was born in November 1823 in Massachusetts. On 07 August 1850, he married Henrietta E. B. Robins at Covington, Kentucky. The family had relocated to Chicago, Illinois around the close of the Civil War, settling by 1864. Their children were: Charles (born in 1851 in Ohio); Edward (born in 1855 in Kentucky); Joseph (born in 1858 in Kentucky); and G. Alfred (born in 1860 in Ohio). Henrietta Payson died before 1877, when Joseph R. Payson married Jerusha Stetson.

When the Payson family arrived at Chicago in 1864, Joseph Payson worked as an insurance adjuster (general agent). Joseph R. Payson was employed, in 1870, as a fire insurance adjuster. The Great Chicago Fire of October 1871, proved challenging for many of the insurance adjusters who had insured properties within the Burned Out District. Some adjusters thrived, but others were ruined. By 1880, Joseph R. Payson was identified as a manufacturer of hardware in Chicago.

Joseph Payson and his wife, Henrietta, took possession of the 20 acre Judson tract at Geneva on 01 April 1867. Although Payson may have dallied with the idea of taking up residence at Geneva, It seems probable, that Payson purchased the property as an investment. It also seems highly probable that Payson engaged local contractor Alexander B. Moore to remodel the former Judson Residence, the impressive Greek Revival home on Shady Lane. Moore is identified in many historical sources as the leading builder of Italianate homes in the Geneva, Illinois area. At the Judson-Payson house, a belvedere was added at the apex of the hipped roof along with other architectural embellishments to modernize the home with the highly-favored design elements of the Italianate style.

Under the Payson ownership, the history of the Dow Avenue home is unclear. However, based on photographic evidence, Payson may have remodeled the home and installed 2-over-2, double-hung windows in place of the original 6-over-6, double-hung windows. Payson may also be responsible for the addition of the Pantry with the bay window at the south side of the home; the bay window appears to have been constructed during this period.

A Period of Transition (1870 – 1892)

The Marshall-Judson property was sold by Joseph and Jerusha Payson to John B. Atwater.

A former, professionally-trained thespian, John B. Atwater was an interesting and colorful man. In addition to his acting career, Atwater was a very successful inventor, who patented several revolutionary ammunition designs immediately prior to the Civil War. As a result of the war and its consumption of large quantities of ammunition, J. B. Atwater became very wealthy.

Aside from his dramatic pursuits and ammunition patents, J. B. Atwater established a minimally- successful, mineral springs resort at Geneva, south of the Chicago and Northwestern rail line. The house on Shady Lane is presumed, by several historians, to have served as the resort hotel while Atwater lived in a stately home he erected near Batavia and Easton Avenue. Atwater’s Mineral Spa was described in the 1871 Kane County Atlas:

During the summer months this spring is a popular resort, and an early morning walk and copious draughts at this fountain of health, has been regular practice of many of the Geneva citizens. The enterprising proprietor of this mineral spring and the beautiful grounds in which it is situated, is considering the feasibility of erecting an elegant hotel in the vicinity of the spring, as a resort for denizens of the city who may wish to enjoy the country air and a short rest during the summer’s heat.

Atwater’s acquisition of the property from Payson represented an effort to expand the resort grounds. In addition to the former Judson tract, Atwater began to assemble several parcels surrounding his own property.

Atwater’s expansion, according to Alice Schwenkler’s exhaustive search of land records, included a tract of land that, in May 1868, extended Atwater’s holdings to the Chicago and Northwestern railroad line through Geneva. He, later, transferred a portion of that purchase to the railroad “on condition that the railroad tear down the unsightly frame houses that had been built there almost twenty years before as temporary housing for workers building the track.”

The extent of this “railroad workers’ shanty town” is unclear, but is presumed to have stretched some distance from the east-west main rail line southward along the spur line to Van Nortwick and Batavia. The shanty town area may have extended to the western border of the Judson tract, near the location of the house at present-day Dow Avenue. The home is presumed to have been occupied by J. C. Gault, a railroad worker, in the late 1850s and early 1860s. Although these homes do not appear on any known map, census data for 1860 notes several “unoccupied” residences in the vicinity of Edwin Judson’s property. Based on Atwater’s demand for the removal of the railroad shanties, it is evident that a number of homes had been erected in the general location of present-day Dow Avenue in the late 1840s and early 1850s, supporting the hypothesis that the Marshall-Judson Home may have been built as early as 1853.

The Atwater property was sold to a list of successive speculators, including John Cheever in 1879.

The Cheever Addition to the Original Town of Geneva, Illinois

The Cheever Addition to the Original Town of Geneva was platted in 1892. Although John and Anna (Dow) Cheever’s names have been associated with the late nineteenth century, residential development south of the Original Town of Geneva, it is doubtful that they or their well-heeled family ever lived at Geneva, Illinois. In fact—in all probability, neither John H. Cheever nor his wife, Anna, ever visited the site.

John Haven Cheever was a wealthy, East Coast industrialist who amassed his fortunes through the production of India Rubber as well as machinery and conveyor belting (New York Belting & Packing Company), used in virtually all nineteenth century industrial manufactories. The Cheever family lived at their palatial, 80 acre, Long Island, New York estate, “Wave Crest” at Rockaway Beach. Both John Cheever and Anna (Dow) Cheever channeled significant portions of their wealth into real estate investment…often purchasing tracts of land along railroad routes in promising towns and cities across the eastern half of the United States.

Except for the railroad and a proximity to Chicago, it is unclear what attracted Cheever to invest in the rural John Haven Cheever landscape south of Geneva. No familial tie to the Geneva area seems to exist. Although a William Cheever family lived in Geneva Township between 1844 and 1857, that pioneering Cheever family moved to Michigan before the Civil War and appears to have no relationship to John Haven and Anna (Dow) Cheever.

John H. and Anna (Dow) Cheever retained the property in “South Geneva” for nearly 13 years before it was subdivided and marketed at the height of a robust economy in 1892. At the time, the industrial settlement of Van Nortwick was proposed, but the Atwater Mineral Springs resort had failed to materialize. “Cheever’s Addition” was not developed by John Cheever but by his wife, Anna (Dow) Cheever, and her ambitious, bachelor attorney, Charles Locke Easton, of Chicago.

Charles L. Easton had established himself in Chicago as early as 1868. Easton was an 1863 graduate of Union College in Schenectady, New York and had been admitted to the New York bar in 1866. Charles Locke Easton was involved, also, in the 1892 promotion and attraction of investors for a “World’s Fair Tower” for the 1893 Columbian Exposition. The proposed tower, which apparently never attracted sufficient investors to have been constructed, included a railcar ride to its top, where visitors were promised exquisite views of the fairgrounds. With the exception of several Iowa and Minnesota banks established by Easton’s father, Charles L. Easton’s clients were large industrial interests, located— primarily—east of the Mississippi River. Attorney Easton maintained his practice at Chicago until 1899 when he began representing the Republic Iron & Steel Company of Ohio. A stroke in 1903 somewhat incapacitated him but he continued to work in a limited capacity; Easton died in September 1905.

Easton partnered with a local Geneva resident, James Elwin Forrest, in the development of the Cheever property south of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad line. Easton maintained and office in Chicago and Forrest lived upon the premises. Likely, Easton’s involvement with the 1893 Columbian Exposition (Chicago World’s Fair) was meant to provide a large audience—including the masses that would pass through Geneva by rail—to whom “Cheever’s Addition” could be marketed.

James Forrest Elwin was born in Sweden about 1844 and came to the United States in 1851. Forrest arrived in Kane County in 1862 and, towards the end of the Civil War, joined as a Private in Company E of the 134th Illinois Infantry. He married his wife, Adelaide “Addie” Morse at Kane County on 12 January 1867. James and his wife, Addie, raised two daughters: Elizabeth “Lizzie: (born 05 August 1870) and Elsie (born 25 March 1874). After 1880, the Forrest family moved to Geneva from the Morse family farm in Blackberry Township and, beginning in 1892, occupied the home built by Edwin Judson on Shady Lane. James E. Forrest was, at one time, the publisher of the Geneva Republican newspaper. After the deaths of James (1905) and Addie (1924), spinster daughter Lizzie Forrest lived at the Shady Lane property (first in the main house and, later, in remodeled quarters at the rear of the property) until 1925, when she moved to 8 Lincoln Avenue in Geneva. Her divorced sister, Elsie, lived with Lizzie in the Lincoln Avenue home until their deaths (Elsie in 1934 and Lizzie in 1952). The Forrest family is buried at Oak Hill cemetery in Geneva.

In June 1892, Anna (Dow) Cheever granted Power of Attorney responsibilities to Charles L. Easton, authorizing him to oversee the subdivision of the Cheever’s land—which included the Marshall-Judson Home at present-day 810 Dow Avenue. By mid-summer, Easton and Forrest had entered into a partnership to develop the Geneva site. By September 1892, the Cheever’s land had been divided into blocks, lots and alleys; the plat was filed and approved by City Council on 06 October 1892. Within “Cheever’s Addition” at Geneva, Illinois, the streets were named for principals involved in its development: Dow Avenue was named for Anna Cheever’s family; Easton Avenue was named for her attorney; Forrest Avenue was named for James E. Forrest. Jessie Street (whose origins are unknown) became Hawthorne Street at some later date.

Together, Easton and Forrest published the “Souvenir of Cheever Addition” promotional booklet, which was intended for distribution to prospective purchasers of homesites. Certainly, the booklet was intended for distribution at the Columbian Exposition of 1893, held at Chicago.

However, the booklet was also distributed throughout the Midwest and, possibly, along the East Coast. Easton advertised Cheever’s Addition heavily throughout Iowa and southern Minnesota, particularly in towns where his father had invested in local banks and where Easton family interests continued. Iowa City, Iowa Advertisement for The identification of Dr. Edwin Judson’s circa 1858 Shady Cheever Addition – 22 Feb 1893 Lane home as “the Spring House” in the “Souvenir of Cheever Addition” promotional booklet is most certainly an unfortunate error of the principals behind the development (Anna [Dow] Cheever, Charles L. Easton, and James Elwin Forrest). Neither Mrs. Cheever nor her attorney, Easton, were well-versed about Geneva history, and Forrest had only lived in Geneva approximately 10 years before “Cheever’s Addition” was platted. Presumably, Easton identified the Shady Lane house based on the earliest name (Spring) associated with the property as recorded in Kane County land records at the time. However, other longtime residents of Geneva must certainly have known Dr. Judson and known that the Humeston, Iowa Advertisement for Shady Lane house had been the Judson home for nearly a decade Cheever Addition – 01 Mar 1893 in the middle of the century. The association of the Shady Lane home with Giles Spring may have resulted from a confusion of Atwater’s mineral spring hotel that became entwined with Giles Spring’s one-time ownership of the property. It is plausible to imagine that “the old springs hotel” became the “old Spring House.”

The Marshall-Judson Home was not identified in the Cheever Addition promotional booklet, likely because it was not a “grand, old residence” such as the “old Spring House,” which was pictured in the souvenir promotional booklet for “Cheever’s Addition.” Presumably, the Marshall-Judson Home was intended to be razed, much like the railroad worker housing that was demolished at the request of John B. Atwater nearly a quarter century earlier.

Despite intense marketing efforts beyond the Chicago region, “Cheever’s Promotional Booklet for Cheever Addition at Geneva, Illinois - 1892 Addition” never attained the success that had been envisioned for the Geneva neighborhood, due largely to the Panic of 1893 which dragged on over the course of four years. The Panic of 1893 was one of the most serious economic depressions in the history of the United States.

During the Gilded Age of the 1870s and 1880s, the United States had experienced significant economic growth and expansion, but much of this expansion depended on high international commodity prices. One of the primary factors of the economic depression of 1893 involved American and European investment in Argentina, where Investment was encouraged by the Argentine agent bank, Baring Brothers. The failure of the 1890 wheat crop and a coup in Buenos Aires led to the suspension of further investments. European investors became concerned and started a run on gold in the U.S. Treasury. In 1893 wheat prices crashed.

The shock that hit Chicago a week after the Columbian Exposition opened in May 1893 was the failure of a major financial institution—the Chemical National Bank. In short order, several other banks failed throughout Illinois. The panic spread quickly over the entire country and the stock market crashed that month, followed by a second, more severe crash in July. Chicago and northeastern Illinois were hit more severely than anywhere else. The panic was aggravated by the widespread business speculation that had sprouted up around the World’s Fair.

By summer’s end, the country was in the grip of the most serious economic depression that it had yet seen, with hundreds of thousands of unemployed. As a result of the Panic, stock prices declined; 500 banks closed; 15,000 businesses failed; and numerous farms ceased operation. The unemployment rate hit 25% in Pennsylvania, 35% in New York, and 43% in Michigan. Soup kitchens were opened to help feed the destitute. Investment in idyllic, suburban, residential estates came to a standstill.

Easton and Forrest’s plans for “Cheever’s Addition” may have included the razing of the nearly forty year old Marshall-Judson Home (present-day 810 Dow Avenue). However, the Panic of 1893 stalled the anticipated development of “Cheever’s Addition,” sparing the pioneer-era home at present-day 810 Dow Avenue.

Henry B. Fargo and Dennis J. Hogan (1894 – 1910)

According to an article in the Geneva Republican, Henry B. Fargo, a local businessman and future Geneva mayor, purchased “the underperforming Cheever Addition” on January 20, 1894. Fargo’s purchase included “all of the tract of land known as the Atwater farm except the lots that had already been sold and the old house and four lots where J. E. Forrest’s family now live.” The article continued that “the land was to be put on the market and “the location of this land is one of the finest in Geneva, and the city is growing right towards it. Mr. Fargo intends to improve it in many ways during the summer.”

Dennis J. Hogan was the Mayor of Geneva, Illinois for two terms: 1891-1893 (when the plat for The Cheever’s Addition to the Original Town of Geneva” was accepted by the Geneva City Council) and 1897-1903.

Hogan’s wife was Mary Duhig; they were married on 20 May 1879 while Mr. Hogan was visiting Ireland. In 1880, D. J. Hogan was working in Chicago as a lawyer and was active in Democratic politics, serving a number of years on the Democratic state’s central committee, including several years as secretary of the organization. In 1887, the Hogan family moved from Chicago to Geneva, Illinois, where D. J. Hogan resided until his unexpected death, resulting from a lung hemorrhage (pulmonary embolism), at his home on 27 October 1907 at the age of 50.

When approved by City Council in 1892, “Cheever’s Addition” included two streets named in honor of Mayor Hogan: Hogan Avenue and Hogan Place. At that time, D. J. Hogan also owned land north of the Chicago and Northwestern railroad tracks that had been part of the original Stratton acquisition.

The 1894 sale of the majority of “Cheever’s Addition” to Henry B. Fargo also exempted the proposed Hogan Place Subdivision, which—by the sale to Fargo—had been platted as its own subdivision within “Cheever’s Addition” (or, more likely, had been intended to be filed as a separate plat). In any case, Henry B. Fargo purchased the Hogan Place parcels under a separate agreement on the same day as he had purchased the balance of the Cheever Addition. Lots 14 & 15 and the northerly parts of 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20 of the Hogan Place Subdivision within “Cheever’s Addition” comprise present-day 810 Dow Avenue, including the circa 1855 Marshall-Judson Home.

Throughout 1894, Henry B. Fargo offered the lots of Hogan Place for purchase. In November of that year, Fargo offered a tract of land to Jesse Clemmer of Batavia. The contract for the sale was recorded the following September as “lots 23 and 24 in Block 3 in Subdivision of Blocks 6 and 7 of Hogan Place…” which suggests that Fargo re-configured and re-numbered the lots between late 1894 and late 1895. Lots 23 and 24 comprise present-day 810 Dow Avenue.

Jesse Clemmer

Born in Pennsylvania, Jesse Nyce Clemmer (1837-1921) was a plasterer, by trade, who lived most of his adult life in Batavia, Illinois, where he died and was buried in East Batavia Cemetery.

Over many years, Jesse Clemmer invested in numerous properties through his association with Henry B. Fargo; the exact nature of their business relationship is unclear. In 1895, Jesse Clemmer and his wife, Annie, purchased Lots 23 and 24 from Henry B. Fargo for $300, a small sum for a property that included a home. Based on the sale price, it may be assumed that the house was in very poor condition and that Clemmer intended to remodel the house to modern standards of the era.

Upon the purchase of the property, Clemmer obtained a one year mortgage from Fargo, further suggesting that Clemmer intended to remodel the old house and offer it for sale upon completion. (Reportedly, much of the plaster removed from the 810 Dow Avenue house during renovations since 1973 incorporated chicken feathers—rather than horsehair—as a binder material. In fact, former resident of the home from 1973 to 2014, Janice Faulkner, noted—during a 2016 telephone interview, that the plaster throughout the house consisted only of the “scratch coat” and that the finish coat of plaster was never applied.)

During the Clemmer residency, a porch (likely the original) spanned the front of the south section of the Dow Avenue home.

Charles and Henry Fields

Jesse Clemmer sold the Dow Avenue house in May 1896 to Charles Fields, who was born in Kane County in June 1853 and raised on his father’s Blackberry Township farm. Charles Fields married in 1879, and the couple had five children by 1893. Between 1896 and 1901, Charles Fields worked as a printer at Geneva, Illinois. In 1897, Charles Fields sold the Dow Avenue house to his brother, Henry, but continued to live in the Dow Avenue home. In the spring of 1901, Charles moved his family back to the Blackberry Township farm, where his widowed mother continued to live.

Fargo Subdivision

Henry B. Fargo, who served as Mayor of Geneva beginning in 1907, re-platted the Hogan Place Subdivision a second time in 1898. The second plat, known as the Fargo Subdivision, eliminated Hogan Place and extended Hogan Avenue northward to connect with Cheever Avenue. The new subdivision included re-configured lots and new lot numbering. Over time, Hogan Avenue was identified as Geneva and St. Charles Boulevard that became, in 1928, Meadows Road.

Twentieth Century Growth to the West

Until the early twentieth century, much of the Cheever Addition remained undeveloped. Most of the undeveloped land west of Dow Avenue continued to be farmed. However, during the 1920s, the American economy was robust and Americans began to build comfortable, modern homes—modest homes with modern conveniences for a growing Middle Class as well as elaborate country estates for a burgeoning Upper Class.

At Geneva, The Meadows, a residential development of “country gentlemen’s estates” was conceived by and platted by local resident and businessman Perry Dryden in by 1928. The Meadows incorporated a small portion of the 1892 “Cheever’s Addition” as well as the undeveloped farmland west of Dow Avenue and a portion of the defunct Van Nortwick factory town site (known, at that time, as Appleton) to the south.

With the platting of The Meadows, the 810 Dow Avenue property was no longer on the edge of Geneva but was surrounded by the growing city.

Perry and Katharine Dryden

Perry Dryden was born on 12 March 1894 in Cleveland, Ohio. He was married in Cook County on 05 April 1920 to Katharine Allen. Mr. Dryden was an investment banker with Blair and Company of Chicago. The Drydens settled in Geneva in the early 1920s and, three years later, moved into their first home at 518 Easton Avenue, which was built by the Wilson Brothers.

Two years later—in 1925, Perry and Katharine Dryden hired the Wilson Brothers to build a second home at 418 Easton Avenue.

In 1928, the Drydens hired the Wilson brothers to build their third and last home at 946 Sunset Road in The Meadows subdivision, where they lived for thirty years. Their home was completed in early 1929 (but razed in 2013).

Perry and Katharine were very well known in Geneva. In addition to raising six children, Mrs. Dryden also was employed—for twenty years—as a clothing buyer for a local dress and gift shop and tea room, The Little Traveler. Perry Dryden was a Geneva alderman, representing the second ward for 25 years. He was first elected alderman in 1933 and was elected to his seventh four-year term in April 1957. Mr. Dryden often acted as mayor pro tem when the sitting mayor was unable to attend city council sessions. Mr. Dryden was a member of the school board, a member of the Geneva Golf Club, and a member of the prestigious University Club of Chicago.

Perry Dryden died on a Wednesday, 29 January 1958 at Community Hospital of a severe heart attack. His funeral services were held at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, and he was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery on 30 January 1958.

Upon Mr. Dryden’s death, his family generously sought donations in his memory to support the fledgling Geneva Park District, established in 1950. Years later, a small section of undeveloped land within “Cheever’s Addition” was transformed into Dryden Park, in honor of Perry and Katharine Drydens’ commitment to the Geneva community.

The Meadows Subdivision

The Meadows subdivision at Geneva, Illinois combined modestly-sized lots with large, estate lots. The smaller lots were intended for modern—but affordable—homes for the typical American household. However, the estate lots were intended to attract a more affluent clientele to the quiet and accessible community of Geneva.

With the establishment of The Meadows subdivision, the seventy year old Marshall-Judson Home, was surrounded by residential development, spanning three-quarters of a century and known— unofficially—as “South Geneva.”

Mr. and Mrs. Dryden sought to set the standard for the development of their “country estate” lots by building their own, spacious home. The Geneva Republican, reported in its 06 April 1928 edition:

Perry Dryden Starts Building New Home In “The Meadows” – Perry Dryden who sold his residence on Easton Avenue to Hamilton Ross last winter will be the first to erect a home in The Meadows subdivision in the southwest portion of the city. Wilson Brothers have the contract for the new residence, which will cost about $20,000. Work on excavating for the basement started Tuesday.

Perry Dryden made many business connections and promoted his new development through his membership in the prestigious University Club of Chicago. Because of his connections, Sunset Road began to develop with country gentlemen’s homes as envisioned by Perry Dryden. Initially, The Meadows subdivision attracted some of the most affluent people of the area, fulfilling the original concept for the adjacent “Cheever’s Addition” of 1892.

One of the early residents of The Meadows was Joy Morton II, whose family operated the Morton Salt Company and Argo Corn Starch Mills. The Morton family was instrumental in the founding of National Arbor Day as well as the establishment of Morton Manor of West Chicago and the Morton Arboretum of Lisle.

Unfortunately, fate disrupted Dryden’s vision just as it had derailed the vision for “Cheever’s Addition” 36 years earlier. Shortly after The Meadows was established, the stock market crashed in October 1929, initiating the Great Depression. Unlike the Panic of 1893, the Great Depression dragged on more than twice as long. As a result, The Meadows was never fully realized and was re-subdivided numerous times over the next thirty years in order to meet the demands of a changing housing market. 810 Dow Avenue in the Twentieth Century

Henry Fields, who had purchased the Marshall-Judson Home in 1897, sold the 810 Dow Avenue property to Guiseppe “Joseph” Rabella in 1901. According to his obituary in October 1919, Rabella was “one of the first Italians to make a home in Geneva.” Rabella was “a quiet and steady laborer” for the City of Geneva when he was stricken with stomach cancer. Rabella was credited with planting extensive grape arbors on his property, presumably for the production of table wine. Joseph Rabella’s widow, Aldwena, re-married and remained in the Dow Avenue home until 1923. Aldwena’s second husband, Anthony “Tony” LaVendi, sold the property to Agnes Blescoe in 1927.

Presumably, Rabella or LaVendi shortened the front porch to half its original length. Apparently, few other changes were made to the residence during this period. Apparently, the original clapboard siding was removed during this period and replaced with “Dolly Varden” siding which replicated a log exterior.

Between 1927 and 1969, the 810 Dow Avenue property had at least seven owners. During that time, the Dow Avenue house changed very little.

In 1942, Clair C. Martin purchased the property. He was born in 1883 at Creston, Iowa and—for 25 years—was a resident of Geneva. On March 24, 1962, C. C. Martin died unexpectedly at his Dow Avenue home and was interred at Oak Hill Cemetery. His widow, Mabel, was employed at the Illinois State Training School for Girls in Geneva. She remained in the Dow Avenue home until her death in February 1968.

During the Martin’s tenure, they added—before 1940—the first indoor Clair C. and Mabel Martin Home, circa 1968 bathroom, located on the second floor of the home. It is likely that the Martin’s installed, a short time later, a Powder Room at the first floor. After 1940, Mabel Martin had the fireplace built on the north wall of the Living Room, placing it between two existing windows. Also, the front porch was enclosed to create a vestibule; two single windows were grouped at the first floor of the east façade of the south wing of the home; and the exterior was sheathed in fiber cement shingles.

Following the death of Mabel Martin, the 810 Dow Avenue property was listed for sale as part of the liquidation of Mabel Martin’s estate.

The Dow Avenue property was purchased in 1969 by Lee R. and Janice B. Faulkner. Curiously (and months before their purchase of the home), Janice Faulkner—as the Assistant Director of Nursing at Geneva’s Community Hospital—had been at Mabel Martin’s hospital bedside when she passed away.

Lee R. Faulkner later organized LRF Design Build, Inc. in association with Viking Construction that operated from corporate offices at 242 South Batavia Avenue, Batavia.

According to information provided by Janice Faulkner, her husband, Lee, designed the 1974 renovation plans for the Dow Avenue property (see attached).

Between 1974 and 1977, the extensive remodeling of the Dow Avenue home included the relocation of the front entry door and construction of a new, front porch; relocation of the interior staircase; removal of interior partition walls to expand the Dining Room into the former Stairhall; an addition of a Study at the northwest corner of the home; relocation of the windows flanking the fireplace at the Living Room; the removal of two windows at the front of the house for the installation of a bay window; replacement of paired windows at the Dining Room with French doors; Lee R. and Janice Faulkner Home, September 1971 remodeling of the former Kitchen into a Breakfast Room and Powder Room; remodeling of the former Pantry into a Galley Kitchen; the addition of three dormers at the second floor to provide additional light into bedrooms and a hallway; and a second floor addition at the rear of the home to create a Studio, Bedroom and two bathrooms.

Also, the Faulkners removed the fiber cement siding as well as the underlying “Dolly Varden” siding and installed new, cedar lap siding over the entire exterior and added decorative, cedar shingles in the gabled endwalls. The existing two-car garage was enlarged and the exterior was remodeled, as well, to Rear Northwest Corner in 1971 prior to rear additions match the modifications of the Faulkner Home.

While the remodeling altered the interior floor plan, the expanded new, front porch closely replicated the dimensions of the earlier porch. The renovation exposed historic trim details that were either salvaged or replicated.

Although the Faulkner’s remodeling significantly modified the original architecture of the circa 1854-1857 Marshall-Judson Home, the T-plan, Gable Front massing was retained upon completion of their renovation project.

South Wall with initial framing of Rear Southwest Corner prior to 1974 Rear Addition in 1974

North Wall during 1974 remodeling 1977 Installation of Boxed Bay Window

The home was purchased by Marty and Amy Hilmer in April 2014. Later that year, the Hilmers began a second, extensive renovation of the Marshall-Judson Home. The Hilmer’s extensive renovation included work at both the exterior and interior of the home as well as at the garage and grounds. Front Southeast Corner and Garage - 2016

North Elevation - 2016 South Elevation - 2016

Work completed at the exterior of the 810 Dow Avenue home between 2014 and 2016 included: Repair of existing foundation parging Limited removal of rotted wood siding, trim and eaves and replacement with wood Caulked and re-painted entire exterior Removal of failing Andersen clad, double-hung windows (circa 1974) and casement windows (circa 1974) and replacement with Andersen wood interior / clad exterior double hung windows and casement windows Repair of 1977 boxed-out, bay window at front façade and replacement of shingled roof with standing seam copper roofing Removed 1974 front door but retained salvaged double doors (installed in 1974) at front porch Removed and replaced circa 1974 front porch columns, decking, steps and balustrade Installed new, standing seam copper roofing at historic bay window at south elevation Addition of a new Mud Room and covered porch at the southwest corner of the home, towards rear Addition of new deck and doors to deck at rear of house

Work completed at the interior of the 810 Dow Avenue home between 2014 and 2016 included: Removal and replacement of all mechanical systems (plumbing, electrical and HVAC) Installed new structural bracing, beams and columns throughout the house Removal and relocation of basement stairs Removal of rotted floor joists Reconfiguration of Front Foyer, Living Room and Dining Room as remodeled in 1974 Relocation of 1974 Kitchen Relocation of 1974 Bathrooms at first and second floors Replacement of all 1974-era interior doors, trim and moldings Installation of Living Room bookcases Relocation of Laundry to second floor Reconfiguration of 1974 rear bedroom and bathroom at 1974second floor addition Refinished existing hardwood floors Installation of insulation Completion of painting and decorating

Work completed on the grounds of the 810 Dow Avenue property between 2014 and 2016 included: Removal and replacement of electrical service (buried underground) Removal and replacement of sidewalks at east and south sides of the home Removal and replacement of the existing driveway at the south side of the home Expansion of the garage to the rear (west) Installation of new landscape

Although the house at 810 Dow Avenue has been successively altered by each subsequent family associated with the property, the Marshall-Judson Home maintains, from the street, its basic, architectural form and massing as originally constructed in the mid-nineteenth century. By 2016, the “South Geneva” neighborhood had been transformed from a rural landscape with humble, pioneer homes to an urban neighborhood of modest homes and elaborate estates reflecting many eras of architectural Detached, Non-Contributing Garage -2016 development. As it stands, today, the Marshall-Judson Home is a representative example of an early Geneva residence that has ties to significant individuals of the pioneer settlement period of both Geneva and northeastern Illinois. Furthermore, the Marshall-Judson Home is representative of the architectural and socio-economic influences expressed in the surrounding properties of the neighborhood as it has developed over 175 years.

Sources:

Ancestry (www.ancestry.com), various records including published family trees, Illinois, State Census Collection, 1825-1865 and U. S. Federal Census Records, 1820-1940 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.

Andreas, Alfred Theodore. History of Chicago: From the earliest period to the present time, Volume 1. (A. T. Andreas, Publisher: Chicago, Illinois, 1884.)

Ehresmann, Julia M., Editor. Geneva: A History of Its Times and Places (Geneva Public Library: Geneva, Illinois, 1977.)

Encyclopedia of Chicago (www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org)

Faulkner, Lee and Janice. Personal photographs and drawings. (Lac Du Flambeau, Wisconsin)

Find A Grave (www.findagrave.com)

Gibbons, Adam D. The Founders and Early History of Geneva, Kane County, Illinois, Volume 1 – Beginnings to 1837. (BookLocker.com: Bradenton, Florida, 2014)

Geneva History Museum Archives (113 South Third Street – Geneva, Illinois)

Geneva Republican newspaper, 27 Jan 1894

Hilmer, Martin and Amy. Personal photographs and drawings. (Geneva, Illinois)

Illinois State Archives; Springfield, Illinois; Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916 (https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/databases/death.html) and Illinois Statewide Death Index, 1916-1950 (https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/databases/idphdeathindex.html)

Illinois State Archives; Springfield, Illinois; Illinois State Marriage Index, 1763 - 1900 (https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/databases/marriage.html)

Illinois State Archives; Springfield, Illinois; Illinois State Census, 1865; Archive Collection Number: 103.010; Roll Number: 2172; Line: 14

Kane County Land Records (Kane County, Illinois – Online Databases and Records Search, www./lrs.kanecountyrecorder.net)

Lambert, Michael A. – Preservation Planner, City of Geneva, Illinois.

The Medical Standard – Volume 5, January-June 1889, p127. (G. P. Engelhard & Co.: Chicago, Illinois, 1889.)

Moses, Hon. John, Ed. Biographical Dictionary and Portrait Gallery of the Representative Men of the United States – Illinois Volume. (The Lewis Publishing Company: Chicago, Illinois, 1896.), p 101.

Moses, Hon. John and Maj. Joseph Kirkland, Eds. The History of Chicago, Illinois - Volume 2 (Munsell & Co. Publishers: Chicago and New York, 1895.), pp 499, 644-647.

Schwenkler, Alice. The Giles Spring House, circa 1970. (Geneva History Museum Archives, 113 South Third Street – Geneva, Illinois).

Telephone Interview with Janice Faulkner (Lac Du Flambeau, Wisconsin) by Michael Lambert on 09 September 2016; originating from Geneva, Illinois.