Elgin sprucing up for annual house tour

When Susan and Mike Guigliano moved in to their Gothic Revival home about five-and-a-half years ago, they had quite an improvement list.

They still do, but their list got fast-tracked when the couple were approached by the Gifford Park Association to showcase their 1873 home for the annual Historic Elgin House Tour.

"It's a work in progress," Susan Guigliano said. "To me, this is like one big art project. I love it. I could spend all day on a scaffold."

The annual walk, now in its 27th year, is considered the premier tour for the city, if not the Fox Valley area.

Organizers say it draws between 1,500 to 2,000 people and is the product of months of sometimes tedious work, old fashioned elbow grease and research.

"It's a wonderful event that shows off the best of the homes in Elgin, not only are they old, but significant," said Elizabeth Marston, director of the Elgin Area Historical Society Museum. "They're so well taken care of, so well decorated. A lot of important people have lived in them (in the past). It tells you how Elgin got started."

Each year, the GPA picks a different area of the city to spotlight.

This time around, it's a northeast part of Elgin, also known as the "Gold Coast" because many of the town's early, wealthier families erected large homes there as the city grew.

Eight homes are featured and all can be seen inside and out between 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13.

Each winter, GPA officials pick out a list of possible sites.

The homes have to be somewhat clustered so people can walk between them.

Homeowners must obviously consent, then historical research begins, along with inevitable improvements or some serious sprucing up. Then there are around 300 volunteers, such as docents who work shifts for home tours, neighbors who design walk brochures and school and Boy Scout groups that sell and serve refreshments.

"Elgin has so many really, really gorgeous architectural gems in so many areas. We want to show people there are great homes all over," said Karen Bach, who is co-chairwoman of this year's tour with Laura Jacobson. "The architecture is wonderful, not only outside the home, but inside as well."

The Guiglianos had been on their tour in the past - as observers.

Now the proverbial tables have turned.

Their home has seen its share of improvements over the years. The couple installed a fountain in their yard one year for their anniversary.

Susan has painted intricate stencils and faux designs in the kitchen, pantry, dining room, hallway and master bed and bath in attempt to recreate the "high style Victorian" feel they want.

"(The house tour) has definitely put me in high gear to do a lot more quicker," she said, noting she buys her stencils from England. "They're not your typical stencils. They're quite intricate and very different."

Over the years, the tour has become a labor of love for volunteers. It also is a fundraiser for the GPA, which funnels proceeds back into community groups and charities.

"Every tour, we have somebody who ends up moving to Elgin because of the house tour," said Fran Cela, GPA member and former chair of the event. "We keep doing it. It's really a lot of work. Less resilient people probably would have taken a year off by now."

Tickets are $15 in advance for adults or $20 that day. The cost is $10 for children under 12 and seniors 65 and older. For information, call (847) 741-8533.

940 Douglas Ave.Style: PrairieBuilt: 1917History: Designed by Elgin architect George Morris and built for Sol Eppenstein, who with two others founded the Illinois Watch Case Co. in 1888. The factory still stands at the corner of Dundee and Slade avenues.Current owners: Laura and Lee Anderson since 1992. 1011 N. Spring St.Style: Colonial RevivalBuilt: 1908History: Built for Irma Dorman, whose father was David Willson. He served in the U.S. Department of Agriculture under then-President Woodrow Wilson and established the Elgin Dairy Report, which became the dairy market authorityCurrent owners: Barbara and Dennis Iverson since 2000 259 River Bluff RoadStyle: PrairieBuilt: 1915History: Located on a double lot on the city's outskirts, was orginally built for jeweler Frederick Copeland and his family. Underwent major renovation in 2000Current owners: Jeff Gill since 2000 409 Douglas Ave.Style: Queen Anne Built: 1896History: Designed by noted Elgin architect W.W. Abell. In 1919, used as rectory for St. John's Evangelical Lutheran SocietyCurrent owners: Susan and Carlos Rivera since 1996 937 Brook St.Style: Colonial RevivalBuilt: late 1930sHistory: Built for middle manager at the David C. Cook Publishing Company; later owned by Marshall and Aly Silbert, who owned M.J. Silbert and Co., which made and refinished watch dials and vibrating hairsprings.Current owners: Jennifer and Don Souder since 1997 1005 N. Spring St.Style: Shingle Built: 1894History: In 1900, a 115-foot-tall, aboveground water storage tank collapsed, damaging the house and the one next door. A doctor later bought the home and expanded it. Renovations are being done on the house now, including exterior painting. 1100 N. Spring St.Style: NeoclassicalBuilt: 1904History: Originally built in Dutch Colonial Revival for an insurance executive. Struck by lightning and damaged by a large fire in 1941; rebuilt in current style. Won an Elgin Real Estate Board contest in 1942 to encourage home remodeling.Current owners: Anna and Marc Moeller, since 2006 402 N. Spring St.Style: Gothic RevivalBuilt: 1873History: Built for attorney Oliver Perry Chisholm, later owned and used by two consecutive doctors. Gothic Revival was one of the least commonly built of the Victorian-era stylesCurrent owners: Susan and Michael Giugliano, since 2002 If you goWhat: The 27th annual Historic Elgin House Tour, organized by the Gifford Park AssociationWhen: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13Where: Eight houses throughout the Gold Coast section of Elgin. Tour booklets must be picked up that day at the Sherman Hospital lobby, corner of Slade and Center streets.Cost: Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 the day of the tour for adults. Tickets are $10 for children 12 and younger and people 65 and older. Advance tickets are available at: Al's Cafe and Creamery, 43 DuPage Court; Jewel grocery stores, 1660 Larkin Ave. and 1040 Summit Drive; and Ziegler's Ace Hardware, 215 N. Spring St. and 1158 Lillian St.Info: (847) 741-8533 or www.gifford-park-assoc.org.