30th Annual Historic Elgin House Tour

The Gifford Park Association (GPA) is celebrating its 30th Annual Historic House Tour will take place September 10-11, 2011.

Each year, the House Tour features a different historic neighborhood of Elgin. This year the GPA is very excited to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the House tour where it all started - in the Historic District!! The House Tour will feature 8 homes in the Historic District, as well as several public buildings. There will be additional neighborhood walking tours highlighting improvements driven by the Gifford Park Association, as well as other significant neighborhood changes.

The Annual Historic Elgin House Tour is an educational event that offers something for everyone. There’s architecture, history, home remodeling, interior decorating, gardening and more. The interior tours of the homes are guided and interpreted. The houses may be toured in any order. Wear comfortable shoes & allow yourself the full day to see all of the homes.

Advance Tickets will be available at advance locations, by mail and online at a reduced rates are will be on sale the beginning of August. Tickets are also available at registration the day of the Tour. Advance tickets are $15, day of Tour are $20. Under 12 years and over 65 are $10 the day of the Tour. For additional information contact Bill Briska at 847-695-4022 or via .

For those interested in supporting the House Tour and GPA's continuing historic preservation efforts, multiple levels of participation are available. Sponsorship details can be found online here.

2011 Elgin Historic Houses

Queen AnneGothic Revival

One of Elgin’s oldest residences, this rare Carpenter Gothic variation of the Gothic Revival style was erected in the early 1850s. Its storied history includes a new chapter following a complete rehabilitation in 2008.

Queen AnneQueen Anne

Built in 1890, this Queen Anne-style home was GPA’s first rehab project in 1987. Subsequent owners have added a large family room and master bedroom suite thus blending both traditional and modern designs.

Queen AnneQueen Anne

Erected in 1898, this is another of W. W. Abell’s large Queen Anne-style residences that was carved into apartments. After being returned to a single family home in 2002, the owners are continuing with the restoration.

Queen AnneItalianate

Seen on the 2006 tour, this Italianate-style home is back again, featuring a impressive new bathroom/dressing room suite, the completed wrap-around front porch and a number of other finishing touches.

Queen AnneQueen Anne

One of noted architect W. W. Abell’s Queen Anne-style designs. This early-1900s home underwent a significant rehabilitation in 2007..

Queen AnneBungalow

Built in 1922, this exquisitely maintained home is an excellent example of a Craftsman-style bungalow. The interior trim and furnishings accent the home’s architectural appeal. This is a real treat for fans of Arts and Crafts.

 

 

 

Join us on Facebook!

About GPA

Join us in the beautiful Elgin Historic District on September 10 and 11, 2011 for a tour of some historic buildings in Elgin!

The Gifford Park Association, founded in 1979, "is a model for what vision and hard work can do in the face of long odds" (Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation). The 1960s and '70s were hard on Gifford Park, and the Gifford Park Association worked tirelessly to change the values of the entire community, and today their legacy is evident. More information on GPA here.

Comprised completely of volunteers, the GPA lobbied City Hall to enact a preservation ordinance and to have the neighborhood named a local historic district. To promote architectural appreciation through public education, the Association launched its first Historic House Tour—financed on a single member's credit card. Today, the program attracts 2,000 visitors every year from all over the Chicagoland region. To preserve its neighborhoods, the group has also purchased, rehabilitated and resold seven "problem properties," and initiated the "Great Unveiling" program.

Sponsors

City of Elgin


For information on attending please . For more information on sponsorships or media inquiries, please call 847-732-4708 or send an .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Queen AnneCross-Gabled

This 1883 cross-gabled house was typical of many working-class residences in Elgin. It languished in disrepair for decades until becoming a GPA rehabilitation project in 2002.

Queen AnneItalianate

This stately 1870s Italianate-style home fell onto hard times when it was subdivided into apartments. Now it’s back to being a single family residence with a set tenacious owners working to improve the neighborhood.

Queen AnneOld Main

Erected in 1865 as a schoolhouse, this stately Greek Revival building now houses the Elgin Historical Museum, archives and research library. It’s Elgin’s own version of the Smithsonian Institution.

 

Queen AnneElgin Art Gallery

This Beaux Arts Style masterpiece was built to house Elgin Academy’s extensive fine art collection. Nathaniel Sears along with his wife, Laura Davidson Sears, financed the construction of Elgin's art gallery which was completed in 1924.

Queen AnneChurch

In 1892 Elgin’s oldest congregation erected this Richardson Romanesque-style building as its new home. The church features a dazzling display of stained glass windows illuminating the semi-circular layout of the sanctuary.