Lombard housewalk to feature early home of famous orphan's creator

Harold Gray and his comic strip creation, Little Orphan Annie, are among Lombard's most famous historic residents.

Brian and Eileen Anderson started collecting Gray memorabilia only after 2001 when they purchased one of the Lombard homes where the cartoonist lived. But the couple had lived four doors away for years, and as fans of history and antiques, always pointed out the residence to visitors.

Now the home - a shingled two-story close to downtown, not Gray's other Lombard house, the famous Queen Anne with a belvedere tower on Main Street - will be open June 20 for the Kiwanis Club of Lombard's housewalk.

"We bought it for its historical value," Brian said.

"And it's hard to find five bedrooms in an old house," added Eileen. The couple has four daughters.

One thing about studying historic figures, there are always surprises.

Brian Anderson proudly showed off a picture of the Grays' 1921 Christmas card with a drawing of their home in wintertime and "The Little Gray Home in the West" as a headline.

Inside is a song written by newlyweds Harold and Doris Gray, complaining about bills and taxes brought by Christmas and the end of the year. On a more cheerful note the song closes, "And whenever you're wand'ring near here and feel that you need a good rest - why you're welcome you bet in the slowest town yet - at the little gray home in the West."

But then Brian took time to view a Web site Eileen had found that features Christmas cards with a Little Orphan Annie theme sent out over the years by Gray and his wives, Doris, who died in 1925, and Winifred.

The one for 1924 - the first year the cartoon that eventually inspired a radio show, a 1977 Broadway musical and 1981 and 1999 movies appeared in the Chicago Tribune - shows Annie popping out of a red brick fireplace.

Brian was thrilled to realize it was the fireplace in their living room.

But knowing this duo, it's easy to see another home improvement project brewing as Eileen points out that the trim around the fireplace is no longer there. The Andersons believe Gray lived in the home at least from 1921 until 1927. He died in 1968.

The home, built in 1907 by Gray's aunt and uncle, was also at one time the home of Ed Leffringwell, Gray's cousin and a collaborator on comic strips.

The Andersons remodeled the 1975 kitchen and family room addition before moving in.

"I told Eileen it would take a couple long weekends to get it in shape," said Brian. "Six or eight months later we moved in."

They also found some original woodwork in the living room - most had been removed by a previous owner after an attic fire - and had a carpenter copy the trim for the first floor, including crown molding by the 10-foot-tall ceilings.

"He put trim up in the living room, and when we saw how good it looked we said, 'Just do it all,'" reports Brian, who is director of purchasing for an area company.

The home's interior still boasts some original touches besides the fireplace. The oversized oak door from the entry to the living room, French doors to the dining room, a pocket door and maple flooring stand out.

The Little Orphan Annie collection is in the dining room china cabinet.

Mostly the Andersons own paper collectibles like story and song books, but they also have dolls, drinking glasses and toys including a tiny stove. Perhaps most fascinating are the decoder pins that Ovaltine gave away to fans when it sponsored the radio show. The show started on WGN in 1930 and continued until 1942, although eventually with different sponsors and on different networks.

And yes, Annie treasures cost more in the Chicago area.

On the second floor the Andersons enjoy a master suite that provides an important getaway for the parents of four daughters ages 8 to 18. Each girl has dictated how her room would be decorated from purple and green to rose to a still-little-girl's pink room with bunk beds. And don't miss Rachel's impressive collection of panda bears.

Visitors will understand the youngsters' facility with color when they see the parents' choices on the first floor. Most are similar to their old house, said Eileen.

Garden aficionados will want to take a minute in the yard, especially to enjoy the hanging plants and lovely pedestal planters in the front.

<p class="factboxtextbold12col"><b>What:</b> Over the Threshold, a tour of five Lombard homes</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col"><b>Who:</b> Kiwanis Club of Lombard</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col"><b>When:</b> 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 20</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col"><b>Tickets:</b> $25 in advance at local businesses and on the day of the walk at Mr. Z's Super Market, 401 S. Main St.</p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col"><b>Call:</b> (630) 656-7172 or visit <a href="http://lombardhousewalk.com" target="new">lombardhousewalk.com</a></p> <p class="factboxtextbold12col"><b>Reception:</b> With homeowners and designers at Lilacia Park, 150 S. Park St., from 5 to 6 p.m.</p>