This Waukegan residence, built in 1927 for Earl and Dulcie Potter, owners of Potter Manufacturing, will be open for viewing during an upcoming housewalk.
In 1927, a large red-brick brick house was built for Earl and Dulcie Potter, owners of Potter Manufacturing. The following year, the builder, Jensen Construction, also built a smaller cottage, using the same dark-red brick, right across the street for Earl's parents, Henry and Kathleen Potter. Both residences will be open for touring during an upcoming housewalk in Waukegan.
When the current owners bought the Earl Potter home in 2006, there was a large hole in the roof, and plenty of water damage.
In 1964, this one-level home was built for Harry and Hildred Schwartz. The current owners bought it in 2003.
Waukegan housewalk
When: 1-5 p.m. July 12
Tickets: $14; $12 in advance.
Information: Waukegan Historical Society, (847) 336-1859; http://www.waukeganhistorical.org/.
"It had been vacant for over a year," said Harry Came of the Waukegan Historical Society, the sponsor of the tour. "Aside from the beautiful new roof, the owners have had to repair all the plaster in the house, restore the floor and woodwork and install a fabulous new kitchen."
In the late 1930s, Henry Potter died, and his widow, Kathleen, moved into the home of her son across the street. Around this time, a large addition was built onto the home for her.
The current owners bought the Henry and Kathleen Potter home in 1983. The residence's lot continues down a steep embankment to the Waukegan River.
"While researching the house, the current owner found that a great-great-grandfather had actually lived directly across the ravine on Mill Court in 1847," Came said.
The kitchen still has the original cabinets, and the downstairs bath also has its original tile and fixtures. In an upstairs bedroom, a brass bed was purchased from a house (since demolished) that had stood next to the Cuneo Mansion in Vernon Hills.
Here are the other homes on the tour:
"This beautiful red brick home, on one of the most beautiful streets in Waukegan, was built for John and Olive Ahart in 1935," said Came. "The architects, Estrand and Schad, are well-known in the area for quality residences."
The current owner's parents bought the home in 1980. He later bought out his sister's share and moved in his family.
Upon entering the front hall, the staircase is reflected in the shiny hardwood flooring. A pair of tall clocks flank the front doorway. The living room to the left goes the full width of the home. A traditional fireplace mantel has been completely restored by the owners.
On the walls, visitors will notice a collection of Spanish American War and World War I posters originally collected by the owner's mother. There is also a bolt from the USS Olympia, a World War I battleship still moored in Philadelphia.
Behind the living room and overlooking the garden, a sun porch leads to the new outside deck (with a seating area and a hot tub).
In the dining room, the bronze and alabaster chandelier is one of a pair with its mate in the upstairs hall.
The kitchen has been completely remodeled to provide more work space than was originally designed.
On the staircase wall, original blueprints of the home are framed on the wall. A guest bathroom still has its original tile on the walls and floors. In the master bath, all the fixtures are original (in a rare yellow color).
The brick colonial was built in 1925 for William Dalziel, manager of an envelope company.
"It was purchased just a little over a year ago by a newlywed couple as their first home," Came said. The hardwood flooring and the woodwork are original.
The kitchen has new cabinets and new appliances (except in two places where the original cabinets were saved). A small door accesses the laundry chute that originates on the second floor. The breakfast nook is also original. All the woodwork upstairs is highly varnished with a glossy finish.
"There are surprisingly large, double-door closets in each bedroom, which is unusual for the period," Came said.
A home was built in 1964 for Harry and Hildred Schwartz in the one-level style that was so prevalent at the time. It was designed by T.F. and D.K. Bleck.
The Schwartz family owned the home until 1994, and then the Alvino family owned it until the current owners purchased it in 2003.
The living room has a Mission clock that originally came from a Masonic Hall in St. Paul, Minn. A Mission tea cart was made by the owner's grandfather.
A closet still has the built-in record player and sound system installed when the home was built. Visitors also will notice the direction-finder unit to move around the TV aerial on the roof.
The kitchen has most of its original components, including the cabinets and gas grill. All the windows overlooking the garden are low enough that one can enjoy the garden while seated.
In the master bedroom, a Morris chair is covered in the same fabric as a Mission footstool made by the homeowner's mother at school in 1910. The quilt on the wall was also made by the owner's mother.
