Village of Lombard Names Four Local Landmarks

• The Italianate-style Chatfield Residence at 241 W. Maple Street dates to 1868 and is connected to several notable figures in Lombard history, including Josiah Lombard (the Village's namesake) and Alonzo Chatfield, the original owner and tax assessor in Lombard from 1868 until 1871. The home is one of only three houses in the Village known to have been designed and built by Josiah Lombard.

• The Leffingwell-Gray Residence at 215 S. Stewart Avenue was the home of two famous cartoonists, Harold Gray, creator of the Little Orphan Annie comic strip, and Ed Leffingwell, who created the “Little Joe” comic strip. Leffingwell lived in the home as a child prior to his cousin, Gray, moving into the home in 1922. The uniquely-designed 1907 home retains its original appearance as shown in Gray's artwork, with a shingled exterior, multiple cornice returns emphasizing the parallel roof gable lines, and three-over-one windows.

• The Lustron-fabricated home at 305 E. Morningside was constructed in 1950. Lustron homes are prefabricated steel homes featuring colorful

porcelain enamel panels on the exterior as well as numerous interior built-in features, all made of steel. Although Lustron homes are distinctive in their own right, they are particularly important in Lombard. The Village once had 36 Lustron homes, the largest privately-owned concentration of the houses anywhere in the world, but that number has since dwindled to roughly 25.

• Lombard Cemetery (460 S. Main Street) was established in 1851. Prominent Lombard founding families whose members are interred in the cemetery include the Minks, Hulls, Marquardts, Pecks, Loys, Brackens, and Hammerschmidts. There are numerous veterans' graves ranging from the Civil War to the Vietnam War.

These properties join the Village's two other Local Landmarks, the Sheldon Peck Homestead at 355 E. Parkside and a single-family home at 125 E. Washington Boulevard. The Lombard Historical Commission has also recognized a historic sign on the Dairy Queen at 205 S. Main Street.

The Historical Commission has the authority to recommend the designation of landmark sites or districts having a special historical or community interest or value. These sites are designated based on their character, interest, or value as part of the development, heritage, or cultural characteristics of the Village, as well as their architectural significance (for buildings at least 50 years old) and/or potential archaeological importance. Property owners may request landmark designation out of Lombard Pride, to solicit the advice of the Historical Commission on proposed additions and renovations, or to become eligible for a tax assessment freeze program operated by the State of Illinois. More information on the Historical Commission along with a map of Local Landmarks can be found at http://www.villageoflombard.org/index.aspx?NID=2143.