Villa Park housewalk features historic homes, modern flair

Sandi Dollinger couldn’t be more excited about the five homes on this year’s Villa Park historic housewalk.

The featured houses range from a 1922 home built from a Sears kit to a 2006 Prairie-style residence modeled after the historic Robie House in Chicago.

The fourth annual “A Walk Back in Time to Villa Park’s Historic Homes and Gardens” is from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10.

Dollinger is the chairwoman of the walk, and we asked her to share what she likes best about each house.

Here is a sneak peek:

1922 Sears home

Sears homes were ordered from a catalog and the building kits were shipped by rail. This model is the Crescent.

The home has been remodeled to open up the dining room to the kitchen. French doors lead to a deck and there is a master bedroom on the second floor.

“The outside design of the house is very striking,” Dollinger said. “It has pillars around the front door and a cute little porch.”

1925 bungalow

The most striking feature of this stucco house is the large 7-bay window that floods the living room with light, Dollinger said. Visitors should be sure to look for the little phone booth between the dining room and the kitchen.

The home is beautifully decorated and surrounded by a gorgeous garden, she said.

“We have a lot of bungalows in Villa Park, but for the most part, they are not Chicago bungalows so they can be very distinctive.”

1926 bungalow

This home “does have quite a few of the Craftsman features,” Dollinger said. “It has been remodeled so the first floor is a very open floor plan, but it does include a formal dining room and a wonderful kitchen. The second-floor addition has a beautiful master bedroom suite with a fireplace.”

1927 American Tudor

Unlike an English Tudor, an American Tudor does not have timber on the facade, making for a cleaner look. “This Tudor is very attractive and it has a porte-cochere, which is basically a car port on the side of the house,” Dollinger said. “It’s a wonderful feature.”

The living room has a corner fireplace and the upstairs bedrooms have sloped ceilings that follow the lines of the roof.

2006 Prairie style

The owners were inspired by the historic Robie House in Chicago, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The first floor consists of a large multipurpose space that runs the entire length of the house, and includes a foyer, dining room, family room and sitting area. The muted colors are in keeping with the Prairie theme, and so are the furnishings.

The kitchen, with its cherry cabinets, is bigger than the one in the Robie house and more suited for today’s families. That was the wife’s stipulation, and “she got her wish,” Dollinger said.

Proceeds from the housewalk benefit the Villa Park Historical Society and the Friends of the Villa Park Library.

If you go

What: “A Walk Back in Time to Villa Park’s Historic Homes and Gardens”

When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10

Tickets: $15 in advance, $20 same day. Tickets will be sold at the Villa Park Historical Museum, 220 S. Villa Ave., during regular museum hours, and at three sponsor locations: Circa Antiques and Unique Gifts, 30 S. Villa Ave.; Villa Park Public Library, 305 S. Ardmore Ave.; and Icon Salon, 335 S. Ardmore Ave.

Etc.: Refreshments served at the museum when participants pick up their tour books

Info: www.invillapark.com