Sparkling gems of Elgin
This year, Gifford Park Association chose to highlight Elgin's near west side for the Elgin Historic House Tour.
This neighborhood features homes built from the turn of the last century to 1925 by middle- and upper-class residents, many of whom paid architects to design their homes, said Gifford Park Association member Pat Miller.
On the tour will be two homes that no one has seen from the inside -- at least not on the house walk: the homes at 4 N. Jackson St. and 900 W. Highland Ave.
The Jackson Street house was a showpiece for its homeowner, Elgin lawyer John Ranstead.
Ranstead, whose law practice was located where Al's Cafe and Creamery stands today, had the wherewithal to convert its original Italianate style into the very different Queen Anne style it bears today.
The home is notable for the fact that it has a different types of wood in each room, a common practice around the turn of the last century, Miller said.
When Lewis Sampson and his wife bought the home in 1976, it was a far cry from the historic landmark it is now. It had been converted into a nursing home and underwent years of neglect and vandalism.
After 31 years of rehabbing, the Sampsons finally decided it was the right time to put their home on the house walk.
The house at 900 W. Highland Ave. is an ordinary American Foursquare from the outside, the home has an elaborate interior with leaded glass, early electric light fixtures, and double doors between rooms.
"It is very detailed. Someone was able to afford all the bells and whistles," Miller said. "It really takes you back to that period in time. It's very well-preserved."
If you go
What: The 26th annual Elgin Historic House Tour
When: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, with registration ending at 3:30 p.m.
Tickets: $15 in advance; $20 at the door; $10 for people under 12 and over 65.
Advance purchases: Online or at Al's Cafe and Creamery, 43 DuPage Court; Jewel Food Stores, 1040 Summit St. or 1660 Larkin Ave.; Ziegler's Ace Hardware stores, 215 N. Spring St. or 1158 Lillian St.
Information: Visit Gifford-park-assoc.org, call (847) 697-3370.
Registration location: Fire Station No. 6, 707 W. Chicago St., Elgin, to buy and/or pick up booklets.