Mount Prospect homeowners prepare for holiday housewalk
Everyone once in awhile you come across a home that truly knocks your socks off, so to speak. The English Manor home of Beth and Joe Zander in Mount Prospect is one of those homes and it will be one of the six featured houses on the 29th annual Mount Prospect Historical Society Holiday Housewalk from 3:30 to 9 p.m., Friday, Dec. 2.
The home, located at 208 S. Elmhurst Ave., was constructed between 2005 and 2007 on a lot and a half that was originally occupied by a three-bedroom brick ranch. Joe Zander's parents, Roy and Marie, moved in to that modest ranch home in 1954 and sold it to their son 34 years later - in 1988.
The elder Zanders were part of the huge influx of people who grew Mount Prospect's population from 1,720 in 1940 to 18,906 in 1960. This area of Mount Prospect was part of the H. Roy Berry Colonial Manor subdivision established in 1929. The stock market crash later that year and the resulting Great Depression ended Berry's dreams for this area. That is why most of the homes in the neighborhood, including that original ranch, were not built until after World War II ended.
Joe and Beth married in the early 1990s and, after living in the ranch house for close to a decade, decided to replace the house with a larger home that was more their style. The Zanders had always enjoyed touring model homes. In fact, they would take photos and make notes about features they particularly liked and eventually they were able to incorporate all of them into this house. In fact, they spent six years planning every detail of the home and only hired an architect to formally complete them.
The English Manor, which encompasses 8,896 square feet (including the basement), took 2½ years to build. Beth Zander acted as the general contractor, coordinating and supervising all of the subcontractors herself while working full-time.
"I was literally consulting a 'Construction 101' book throughout the process to make sure I did it all correctly and, because I am very detail-oriented, I even made sure that electrical outlets were installed in the exterior eaves to facilitate Christmas lighting," she said.
In addition, inside the home the Zanders stayed as faithful as possible to the character and detailing of its English Manor exterior style. For instance, they used Gothic arches liberally throughout the home. Gothic arches were prevalent in "true" English Manor homes in Great Britain. High ceilings, limestone fireplaces and kitchen countertops, wood floors, coffered ceilings and wood paneling further add to the effect.
The palatial home includes six bedrooms, five fireplaces, a formal wood-paneled English library with a wood-coffered ceiling, a two-story family room, a first-floor master suite, formal dining room, gourmet kitchen and a home office. The finished basement features a home gym, 430-bottle wine cellar, English Pub-style bar, a music room, a recreation room with fireplace, a craft room, a billiard room and an 800-square foot storage room. There is also a three-car garage.
The Zander home is so large and beautifully-appointed that it has been the site of three weddings and numerous other large social events over its short lifetime.
The interiors of five other nearby private homes will also be featured this year and the exteriors of two additional homes will be highlighted with historical notes on lighted outdoor podiums.
The homes featured this year are: 210 S. Main St., owned by Denise and Philip Rominski; 210 S. Wille St., owned by Joe and Maria Plata; 217 S. Pine St., owned by John and Amy Ward; 205 S. Elmhurst Ave., owned by Matt and Jill Schiltz; 207 S. Elmhurst Ave., owned by Jenny Myk; and, of course, 208 S. Elmhurst Ave., owned by Beth and Joe Zander. Additionally, the exteriors of 223 S. Pine St. and 221 S. Wille St. will be highlighted.
Since it began in 1988, the interiors of a total of 143 Mount Prospect homes have been featured on the annual Mount Prospect Historical Society tour, earning over $240,000 for the society.
But the annual event has certainly not remained static over the years. The holiday housewalk has evolved from a Sunday afternoon driving tour highlighting homes all over the village, to a Friday night neighborhood-specific walking tour. And the evening's/afternoon's festivities have begun in such diverse locations as local churches, the Mount Prospect train station, a local bank and heated tents, depending on the neighborhood featured.
This year's tour will begin at St. Mark's Lutheran Church, 205 S. Wille St., where refreshments and tours will be offered by the congregation and watercolors of the featured houses displayed. Museum store items will also be sold there.
Nonrefundable tickets will be sold for $28 through Dec. 1 at First Merit Bank, 50 N. Main St.; Mount Prospect State Bank, 299 W. Central Road; Busse Flowers and Gifts, 100 E. Northwest Hwy.; River Trails' Weiss Center, 1500 E. Euclid Ave.; Lions Park Recreation Center, 411 S. Maple St.; Millie's Hallmark, 1024 S. Elmhurst Road; Dave's Specialty Foods, 105 W. Prospect Ave.; and the Dietrich Friedrichs House museum, 101 S. Maple St.
Tickets are also available through PayPal at www.mtphist.org. Those tickets can be picked up at a "will call" desk located at the church during the walk.
Last-minute decision-makers may also purchase tickets on the day of the walk, beginning at 3 p.m. at St. Mark's Lutheran Church, but the cost will be $30 at that time.
For more information, visit www.mtphist.org, check out the society's Facebook page or call (847) 392-9006.