Home earns rare Glencoe landmark status; resident wonders if town has a teardown problem

A 115-year-old Glencoe home is now a certified landmark after the Village Board granted unanimous approval of the recognition at its Feb. 20 regular meeting.

The historic home at 255 Hazel Ave. was previously recommended for landmark status by the Village’s Preservation Commission in early January.

According to Assistant Village Manager Ben Wiberg, architect Robert E. Sayfarth designed and built the home in 1909, and the “arts and crafts style home” was built for American Express executive Raymond Shirk, who reportedly used it as a summer cottage.

“The home’s front elevation remains largely unchanged since original construction in 1909 and displays large French doors on the stucco facade and an expansive front porch,” Wiberg wrote in his memo to the board.

The home’s current owners, Sean Henrick and Nicole Smith, want to “modernize the home while preserving its historic integrity,” according to Wiberg, and applied for the certified landmark designation.

Peter Van Vechten, chair of Glencoe’s Preservation Commission, said he believes most Glencoe residents are familiar with 255 Hazel Ave.

“I think it’s fair to say that this house is one of the most visible and memorable houses in the Village because of its proximity to a public (Kalk) park and the Village Center,” he said. “Just about everyone in the Village has gone by it and recognizes this house.”

He said it’s uncommon for Glencoe homes to be designated as certified landmarks, only happening about once every two or three years.

Van Vechten said the home being designated as a certified landmark is “a cause for celebration.”

“The (Preservation) Commission greatly applauds the owners for their architectural sensitivity and commitment to keeping this house intact, both for now and for the future,” he said.

Henrick also thanked the Village staff for their help in getting the house named a landmark.

“It was fun working on this,” he said. “There’s so much history in Glencoe. It’s such a beautiful town, and if I can help be a part of preserving that … I’m all for it.”

Resident petitions Village for stricter demolition guidelines

Preservation was on the minds of more than just the owners of the home earning landmark designation at Thursday’s meeting.

During public comment, resident Clare Rosean asked the Village Board to impose more guidelines for historic home demolition.

Rosean said she and her family bought a historic home in 2022 and spent the next year and a half renovating it.

“For us, it was worth it,” she said; “however, during that year and a half of renovation, three historic properties on my street were demolished. It is not the same street as it was in ‘22.”

She called the homes that were demolished “architectural treasures.”

“It’s very sad to see the unique architecture of this wonderful town disappear over time,” Rosean said. “It’s partly why we moved here in the first place.”

She said that it’s easier in Glencoe to demolish a home than it is to renovate one, and she’s started a petition at Saveglencoehomes.com to call for “immediate and impactful change,” including zoning code changes, permit fee schedules, and “an increase in the demolition delay period.”

“I do not want to infringe on property rights,” Rosean said. “But I want to level the playing field between developers and regular homeowners.”

While the trustees did not respond to Rosean’s comments, Van Vechten did also advocate for change to save historic homes.

According to Van Vechten, last year the Village lost five historic homes, while he said there are six “landmarks and significant structures” that have demolition permits in progress.

“However, as you all know, there is much more that can be done to encourage preservation,” he said to trustees. “I’ve met with you before, and I look forward to talking about renewing that conversation with you again. It’s been a long time.”

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