Palatine's historic Patten House sold to Inverness couple

Few suburban homes have been the source of such rich history - and controversy - as the Patten House in Palatine.

That's why news that an Inverness family purchased the three-story mansion at Benton and Wood streets last week is sure to please sentimental residents long-fearful the home would continue to decay, be scrapped for several smaller homes or even razed for condos.

Randy and Melissa Wzorek plan on raising their five young boys at what's arguably Palatine's most recognizable home, built in 1898 for Charles Hutchinson Patten and his new bride.

"We plan on raising our family there in the manner it deserves," said Wzorek, an engineer at PepsiCo. "The home has good bones and decent mechanical systems."

The Queen Anne-style Patten House is actually more current than the 1870s farmhouse on Bradwell Road the Wzoreks called home for seven years. It wasn't on the couple's radar until they recently decided shop around before taking on a renovation project.

The Patten House proved to be a bargain they couldn't pass up.

The Wzoreks paid just $550,000 for the six-bedroom, five-fireplace home near the heart of downtown Palatine. That's less than one-third of the original $1.8 million asking price set in 2007.

"A lot of homes have been subjected to that kind of financial decline, and it got to a point where it was affordable for us," Wzorek said. "Our interaction with the Patten family was wonderful. They couldn't have been more gracious."

Controversy surrounding the Patten House started shortly after the September 2004 death of its last inhabitant, 90-year-old Barbara Patten. Her son, Charles R. Patten Jr., told the Daily Herald in the past that former Mayor Rita Mullins told him to hold onto it so the village could buy it.

In April 2007, 70 percent of voters in a nonbinding referendum got behind a proposal for the village to spend up to $1.75 million to purchase and rehabilitate the building, so long as another agency stepped forward to provide ongoing operations and maintenance.

A popular idea was to convert the space into a cultural arts center, and the Patten House Task Force was assembled to raise private donations to put toward the acquisition.

But a majority of councilmen said they couldn't justify spending that kind of taxpayer money, despite the Palatine Park District's commitment to spend $50,000 annually on it for three to five years.

A main debate centered on the sale price. The home in 2005 was said to be worth $1.55 million - an amount Patten said he wouldn't drop below in a sale to the village. But in 2007, the council ordered its own appraisal that ended up coming in at $1.25 million, though it didn't take into account all the vacant land.

In addition, some councilmen said the referendum's outcome would have been much different had the question mentioned the possibility of higher property taxes.

Former Mayor Mullins called the council's vote not to buy an insult to the people of Palatine.

"I couldn't be happier this young family has come in to restore and preserve this beautiful home," said Palatine Councilman Jack Wagner, who opposed the village buying the property in 2007. "It worked out for the best."

When reached at his Inverness home on Monday, Charles Patten said he was willing to "bend on the price" to keep it standing.

"The exterior is really starting to look shabby and one more Illinois winter would take a considerable amount of money," he said. "I'm happy for the people moving in and I wish them well because they've got a ton of work ahead of them," Patten said.

He added: "I have great memories of the place but it took six years, five days and a million-dollar discount to sell. You have to move on."

With old disputes now moot, owner Wzorek said his family hopes to move in soon. The wood floors are in the process of being sanded, and electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems will be addressed on a priority basis.

Despite the work ahead, Wzorek said he couldn't pass up the unique features of the home, which include a tower, turret, curved windows, veranda, great round porch and portico.

"We love older homes and this is a one-of-a-kind property," Wzorek. "This presented itself as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."