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What Happens When A Historic District Loses Its History?

By Patty Wetli | April 18, 2016 6:23am

RAVENSWOOD MANOR — Back in 1909, developer William Harmon built 15 model homes to lure prospective buyers to Ravenswood Manor, a subdivision considered so far from downtown Chicago it might as well have been Naperville.

Today, even though the city's boundaries have greatly expanded, some Manor residents are worried that if teardowns and rehabs continue apace, the suburban comparison won't be far off the mark.

Sounding the alarm: Of those 15 model homes, which were featured on a walking tour in 2014 during the Ravenswood Manor Improvement Association's 100th anniversary, two no longer exist, and a demolition permit was issued April 8 for a third.

An original model home in Ravenswood Manor is being demolished. [DNAinfo/Patty Wetli]

"It’s difficult after celebrating the model homes just two years ago that three of them are already gone," said the association's president Athene Carras, who led one of the Harmon walking tours.

"The model homes were the genesis of our neighborhood. These were the homes Harmon built to sell the neighborhood and his vision," Carras said back in 2014.

Bungalows are also an endangered species in the Manor, according to Jim Peters, a member of the association's board and a city planner by trade.

"I don't think there will be any left," he said. "It's a loss of historic character."

This modern home replaced a Harmon model. [DNAinfo/Patty Wetli]

In some instances, the Harmon houses and other "centennial" homes — 100 years and older — are being gutted by existing owners in favor of modern amenities and more elbow room.

"People dealt with smaller spaces" in the distant and not-so-distant past, Peters said.

Today's "cramped" bungalow might have housed as many as nine people back in the '40s, he learned from census records.

In other cases, speculators have snapped up properties looking to capitalize on the Manor's growing desirability, which has been driven in part by the quality of the neighborhood elementary, Waters School, according to Peters.

The resulting renovations and new construction have been a mixed bag. Peters pointed out a Foursquare that appeared to have been built by Harmon himself, but in actuality rose up in the footprint of a former bungalow.

Just blocks away is a spec house that stands out from its neighbors not only because of a towering third story but its incongruous design elements.

"It's an eyesore," Peters said.

Though he conceded that "change is inevitable," the question becomes: "How do we manage it?"

The home on the right is new construction, built in the footprint of a demolished bungalow. It fits in seamlessly with its historic neighbor on the left, which is undergoing renovations true to the Manor's character. [DNAinfo/Patty Wetli]

Nestled on 40 acres along the west bank of the Chicago River, Ravenswood Manor is an almost purely residential enclave of mostly one- and two-story single family homes, the majority of which were constructed in the 1920s and 1930s.

Census information shows that the Manor was solidly middle class in those early decades, with residents employed as school teachers, factory foremen, railroad supervisors, salesmen and even a tug boat pilot.

Lots originally sold for $690-$990, and minimum construction costs ranged from $2,500 to $4,000.

In the late 1980s, houses in the Manor were selling for less than $100,000, but by 2016, Harmon's original models were being assessed for $675,000, demolished and replaced with $2 million homes.

"When we moved in here, it was an affordable option. It wouldn't be now," Peters said. "It's different economics when a starter home is a half million."

There's little teeth in the term "historic district." Homeowners are free to alter or demolish their property. [DNAinfo/Patty Wetli]

In 2008, the Ravenswood Manor District was named to the National Register of Historic Places largely on the strength of its architectural charm: streets lined with classic brick bungalows, picturesque Craftsman homes, elegant American Foursquares and the occasional quirky gem.

The mix of styles is varied enough to provide visual interest around every corner, and yet presents a coherent picture due to a "uniformity of scale," as referenced in the improvement association's national registry application.

The association pursued the historic designation in a bid to encourage homeowners — existing and future — to preserve that scale and the Manor's personality.

"You'd like to save the best buildings," Peters said.

The spec house on the left is significantly taller than and lacks architectural details common to other homes in the Manor. [DNAinfo/Patty Wetli]

Unlike landmark status, the "historic" label doesn't forestall demolition or forbid major alterations — Soldier Field was on the registry, Peters noted — but it does provide tax incentives to rehab rather than tear down.

"It's a carrot instead of a stick," he said.

If renovations are approved by the state's preservation office, a homeowner's property taxes are frozen for at least eight years at the pre-rehab assessed value, Peters explained.

The incentive has proven popular in other historic districts across Chicago, including Old Town, but to date, only two Manor residents have taken advantage of the offer, he said.

Along with continuing to publicize available tax benefits, the improvement association might consider additional "carrots," like doling out awards for renovations or new construction that fit in seamlessly with the Manor's character, Peters said.

The association is also revitalizing its zoning committee, he said.

Turns out, that "eyesore" Peters referenced didn't conform to zoning, and neighbors were able to get the city to issue a stop-work order.

The Ravenswood Manor Improvement Association is revitalizing its zoning committee. [DNAinfo/Patty Wetli]

Another option would be for the Manor to apply for landmark status, which requires far more community buy-in than historic districts.

Manor residents weren't interested in the landmark designation a decade ago, Peters said, and he's not sure there's an appetite for it yet.

"Will we get to a point where people say 'We're losing too much of our character'?" he wondered. "We'll see."

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