Historic Wheaton mansion may be saved after all
A historic Wheaton mansion on the verge of demolition at the Loretto Convent could be saved and moved within the neighborhood in yet another nail-biter for preservationists scrambling to rescue the 19th-century building.
Developers are tearing down buildings on the secluded site at 1600 Somerset Lane to make way for a subdivision of four dozen homes. But the storied House of Seven Gables still remains standing as two Wheaton residents quietly work to keep the mansion from surrendering to the wrecking ball.
The latest twist in the saga comes just weeks after park district commissioners decided to break off talks with preservationists to acquire the Gilded Age mansion, seemingly cementing its demise.
But Pulte Holmes, the company redeveloping the 16-acre property, confirmed in a statement Wednesday that the two anonymous residents may help save the House of Seven Gables after all.
"Pulte Homes has been working diligently and collaboratively with the city and various community partners in an effort to save the House of Seven Gables within the Loretto convent campus," company spokeswoman Valerie Dolenga wrote. "Recently, two private Wheaton residents have stepped up to purchase the mansion and have begun the process to move the mansion within the neighborhood."
Dolenga said the residents did not want their names made public. She said there are still "a few hurdles to overcome" in the next six to eight weeks.
"But we are cautiously optimistic that the mansion can be preserved," Dolenga wrote.
Earlier this month, park commissioners decided not to move forward with an eleventh-hour plan to relocate and convert the mansion into a special events venue at nearby Seven Gables Park, citing financial and accessibility concerns. That undertaking would have required raising about $1.2 million in donations and pledges for the project.
Park district leaders also cautioned that operating a restored mansion likely would involve two to three years of deficit spending before the venue became financially sustainable.
Pulte executives have said developers need the mansion off the property - either by demolition or relocation - by July 10 so crews can complete site grading and roadwork before asphalt plants close in the fall.
Preservationists contacted the park district May 17. Katy Goldsborough and her husband are members of the group and initially offered to front the moving costs. She did not return phone, email and Facebook messages seeking comment Wednesday.
The group has called the Tudor-style, brick mansion an irreplaceable work of Harvard-educated architect Jarvis Hunt.
Built in 1897, the house was part of the "Colony," an exclusive neighborhood of summer cottages for members of the private Chicago Golf Club, the first 18-hole course in the country.
Steel magnate Jay Morris commissioned Hunt to design the home for his daughter. The aging structure features a gabled slate roof, ornate wood carvings and painted beams.
Pulte developers have said they spent about a year searching for someone willing to save the mansion. They also hired architectural consultant Jean Guarino to complete a survey of buildings designed by Hunt in Wheaton.
Guarino identified six structures, including the Chicago Golf clubhouse and the mansion. Hunt also designed the Loramoor estate in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, a popular vacation spot for Chicagoans.