Fire strikes historic Wheaton home being remodeled

A historic Wheaton home that once belonged to a famed engineer suffered extensive damage in an early Wednesday morning fire, authorities said.

The blaze appeared to have started about midnight on an attached porch at the home on the 600 block of Frazier Court.

It was rapidly extending to the attic when firefighters arrived. Numerous hose lines and an aerial ladder were used to extinguish it, according to the Wheaton Fire Department.

Local real estate agent Jeff Dean, who spent 16 years restoring the home until he sold it in August, said he “got sick” when he heard of the overnight blaze.

“It’s just a sad story all around,” he said.

The 113-year-old home was unoccupied at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported. The structure sustained extensive damage, particularly on the roof. A dollar amount of the damage is unknown, authorities said.

Renowned engineer Jarvis Hunt, a Wheaton resident who earned national acclaim for his architecture, designed the building, which was built in 1898. It served as a home for Chicago engineer Charles Strobel, who was one of the early pioneers of the super steel structures that ultimately led to the development of skyscrapers. He and others nearby had homes close to Chicago Golf Club, the the first 18-hole golf course in the country.

“The club’s founders built their summer homes around that golf course,” Dean said, adding that he had been in contact with the latest homeowners, who plan to restore the home.

“I have got pictures and memories of every square inch of that house,” Dean said.

The cause of the fire is unknown and officials from the Wheaton Fire Department and DuPage County Fire Investigation Task Force will conduct the investigation.

Approximately 50 firefighters from Wheaton and nearby communities worked to extinguish the blaze.