Scenic St. Charles subdivision built on former Crane property
Rolling hills, quiet lakes and ponds, woods and natural ravines create a stunning English countryside setting for one-of-a-kind estate homes in the Crane Road Estates subdivision in St. Charles.
“This is a premier neighborhood, and people love its proximity to downtown and the river,” said real estate broker Debora McKay with Coldwell Banker Residential in St. Charles. “What's so nice are the large lots, the rolling lush terrain. It's beautifully done.”
Residences are primarily traditional Old World styles with a few contemporary designs that sit on at least 1¼ acres, McKay said. Each home was constructed by a custom builder and conforms to a rigorous set of design guidelines.
The site of Crane Road Estates was formerly Wild Rose Farm, which consisted of a home, farm and outbuildings built in the early 1900s by Herbert Crane, the grandson of Crane Plumbing founder Thomas Crane. Herbert Crane used the farm, along with nearby Crane Woods and the Wild Rose Inn, for hunting and horseback riding.
In 1985, Crane Road Estates Associates developed the site as a single-family residential community consistent with county requirements and introduced a curvilinear road system and five ponds.
Right now there are six homes for sale in the subdivision, McKay said. “Prices range from $899,000 and go up to about $4 million.
“I've sold probably four homes in there in the past couple years, and within the past year we've had three sales. It's a good time to buy in there because the prices have come down so much.”
Two of McKay's clients, Ernest and Mariels Winhoffer, have now lived in the subdivision for almost four years. The couple, coming from New Jersey where they had a large house on a nice piece of property, hoped to find something similar here.
“We looked in Oak Brook and Elmhurst, but found we needed to go further west to find a house on the large piece of property that we wanted,” Ernest Winhoffer said.
“On our very last day, my wife found this house through Debora, and it was very exciting.” Although their home has many upscale amenities — beautiful molding, an ornate bath and very formal living room — the house didn't matter so much to Ernest.
“I could live in a tepee as long as I have a back yard,” he said. “I love soccer, and I play soccer in the backyard with my kids. The main reason we bought here was the nice flat backyard. I just love it.”
The family also enjoys the area.
“There are many beautiful homes here, and people seem very nice. We found that this was the kind of neighborhood where we'd like our kids to grow up,” Ernest Winhoffer said. “We're really happy with our move. We're very comfortable here.”
St. Charles, a quaint town on the Fox River, offers many amenities that draw people to its borders. People like its vibrant downtown with charming antique shops and boutiques, fine dining, arts and entertainment and all kinds of recreation. Beautiful safe parks, well-maintained bike paths and forest preserves attract those who enjoy the outdoors. And its quality school system is continually ranked very high within the state.
Historic buildings in St. Charles include the Arcada Theatre, which dates back to 1926. The Steel Beam Theatre is housed in a rehabbed historic building. And Hotel Baker is a popular spot for wedding receptions with its gazebo overlooking the Fox River.
Herbert Crane's stately Georgian mansion still stands on the original property in Crane Road Estates, said Tom Rosensteel, one of the original developers. When the original wood farmhouse burned down around 1930, Herbert Crane had the existing brick structure built, which included a slate roof, solid mahogany floors, five original marble fireplaces and other historic amenities, including original Crane Plumbing fixtures.
The recent restoration preserved when possible the original materials. Changes that were made were done with sensitivity to the original history and design of this unique home.
A civic leader in St. Charles, it was Herbert Crane who donated the four bronze foxes that guard the Main Street Bridge in downtown St. Charles. Commissioned from France, the gift to the city represents the Four Sons of Charlemagne.
Crane Road Estates
Age of homes: About 25 years
Price range: $899,000 to $4 million
Schools: Wild Rose Elementary, Haines Middle and St. Charles North High schools in St. Charles Unit School District 303
Parks: St. Charles Park District