Cook House sports new, fresh look in Libertyville
Except for a final coat of marine varnish on the front doors and some other odds and ends, the exterior makeover of one of Libertyville's most recognizable buildings is complete.
Over seven weeks and 1,100 man hours, the Ansel B. Cook House — the old Victorian-style centerpiece of downtown — has been repaired and revived with a fresh palette that makes the original features pop.
In place of a drab shade of white, the main body of the home is now a sandy-colored Richmond bisque. The detailed wood work has been stripped of a century of paint and refreshed with the original white. Rosettes that once had sunk into the background have been highlighted in a burgundy hue.
Rotting trim was replaced and cracks that were letting water into the basement, where historical materials are stored, were repaired.
The street value of this custom job would have been about $50,000. But in what they describe as an example of civic pride, Libertyville residents Mike Foley and Roch Tranel partnered to get the project done at no cost to the village, which owns the building.
Foley, the founder of DiVinci Painters in Highland Park, did the work at cost and arranged for donations of equipment and supplies. Tranel, a friend and local businessman, raised funds through the Paint the Town Foundation.
“The street value of this project was about $50,000 and we did it for about $18,000,” Foley said. “I gave up about $15,000 in profit, but I felt good about it,” he added.
The Victorian-style home was built in 1878 on the site of Libertyville's first settlement by Cook, a schoolteacher, who became a well known masonry contractor and builder. He lived here and in Chicago, where he was involved in several prominent projects, including the Water Tower.
The home and property was deeded to the village in 1920 with the condition it be used as a library. That was the case until 1968, when a new library was built adjoining the mansion.
The Libertyville-Mundelein Historical Society has operated a museum inside and the home was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. For years, it has been the focal point of Cook Park, a popular gathering place for community events.
But with a budget crunch the past few years, a revival of the exterior of the home was not on the priority list.
“Before they brought this to our attention, I didn't realize how bad it was starting to look,” said Jim Moran, a village trustee and vice president of the historical society. “They did some repairs that will ensure the longevity of the Cook house for generations to come. It's not just cosmetic.”
While described as Victorian, the home has been altered over the years and can be considered a hybrid, Foley said. Over time, the clapboard siding had been replaced with stucco and most notably, the original front porch removed and replaced with a plantation-style portico, featuring large columns.
To revive it, 35 gallons of stripper were used to get the trim to bare wood. Rather than repaint the stucco, a base coat of cement was spread over the entire body of the home and then covered with two coats of another exterior finish.
“It was white and chipped,” 14-year-old Olivia King, recalled as she passed the completed project on Thursday. “It looks really different but in a good way.”