Slice of Americana featured in Libertyville

An estimated 400 patrons checked out a slice of Americana during a fundraising house walk Saturday in Libertyville.

This year's MainStreet Libertyville theme for the self-guided tour was the front porch, which has become underused or even vanished from some neighborhoods. Booklets sold for a $10 donation provided histories and directions to the 15 featured houses.

Joel Simmons' 97-year-old family home on Elm Court was among those with classic porches. Cushioned wicker furniture, wall decor and a magazine rack are some of the touches on the inviting porch.

Cody Simmons, 19, complimented his father for creating a porch that has become a hangout for him and his friends. He said his dad also likes to entertain on the porch.

"It's definitely a place me and my friends like to come back to at night," Simmons said. "Usually, we're out here pretty late at night just because it's a quiet neighborhood and, obviously, it's beautiful."

Mary Rysz of Libertyville and Martha Hacker of Green Oaks were some of the tourists armed with the 22-page booklet that took them down West Cook Avenue, Elm Court and other scenic streets to view the front porches from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Hacker said the front porch isn't just a part of a home. Rather, she said, it's place where homeowners can connect to a neighborhood.

"The whole idea of a front porch, there is something about this homey, neighborly feeling," Hacker said. "To be able to sit out on your front porch and greet your neighbors as they come by, it makes you accessible to other people. In so many of our houses now, they're closed off and you don't even see your neighbors."

Rysz said she makes good use of the front porch at her home. She said she winds up there more than on her house's backyard deck.

"You sit on the front porch and see your neighbors," Rysz said.

Many of the Libertyville houses on the route were built in the early 1900s.

As noted in the official guide for Saturday's historic walking tour, the front porch has represented an American ideal of family, nature and community. Cars, television, air conditioning and other lifestyle changes led to the erosion of porches.

Bob Rettig, who helped to stage the MainStreet Libertyville house walk for the estimated 400 patrons, said the annual event is meant to encourage preservation. He said the organization lined up homeowners who still use their front porches as a way to foster a sense of community.

"The porch was a gathering place," Rettig said. "It was almost a room in the house, even though it's outside."