Neighborhood to show off Sears homes

An Elgin neighborhood wants to tell its story about Sears kit homes - and in the process set a record for the number of homes in a given year awarded a historical plaque.

The Southwest Area Neighbors (SWAN) plans to send in applications for 40 or so homes to be considered for the Elgin Heritage Commission's building plaque program.

Commission chairman Bill Briska said that to be considered, properties must score at least a six on a 10-point scale in three categories: historical significance, architectural integrity and current maintenance.

More than 370 homes have been recognized in the program's history. It's up to individual homeowners to apply and as many as 10 are awarded plaques in ceremonies each May and December, he said.

Briska expects about 25 homes in the SWAN area to earn the distinction by this spring.

"It would be a record number and it would be a boost to the neighborhood," he said. "There's a lot of good stuff in terms of architecture and cultural history."

The city has several active neighborhood groups that emphasize their historical roots, such as the Gifford Park Association and the Northeast Neighborhood Association.

"What SWAN wants to do is infuse that same type of momentum in their area," Briska said.

SWAN President Charlene Sligting said the group applied for, and was awarded, a city grant last year.

For the last six months, a SWAN committee researched and uncovered a swath of Sears kit homes. Between 1908 and 1940, Sears offered more than 300 designs and sold about 70,000 of them. They were shipped via boxcar and assembled on site.

"This research has turned up the largest concentration of Sears kit homes the area," Sligting said. "With all of the incredible neighborhoods in Elgin, SWAN can now have the distinction of being the premiere area to live in Elgin if you love Sears kit houses and bungalow styled homes."