So you own an old house.
It might be a Victorian, large or small. It might be an example of Prairie School architecture. Or it might just be a basic bungalow. But if it`s at least a half-century old-or if it`s a more recent residence designed by a significant architect, like Frank Lloyd Wright-it qualifies as historic.
And despite the blood, sweat and tears it might take to do it, you may be inspired to truly preserve its past. Luckily, you`re not alone, and there`s guidance available for those who seek it.
”We feel that homeowners across America are the backbone of
preservation,” says Maureen McKasy-Donlin, director of the National Trust for Historic Preservation`s Center for Historic Houses, headquartered in Washington, D.C.
”And there`s a ladder of help for them, both public and private, not-for-profit, from the national level down to the local.”
Most of that help comes in the form of books, pamphlets and free advice from architects and other experts; there`s no money available for private houses, says McKasy-Donlin. But, says Vince Michael, Chicago programs director of the Landmark Preservation Council, ”we have all kinds of resources available.”
Outside interest
Homeowners starting the restoration process should first look to the home`s exterior details, Michael and McKasy-Donlin agree. Those details are what make a house fit in with or stand out from its neighborhood.
And, if you`re really serious, be aware that those are usually the ones evaluated when a house is considered for landmark status, either as part of a historic district or on its own. To achieve landmark status on its own-a very rare designation-a building must have 90 percent or more of its exterior in original condition.
More common are designated landmark districts; there are 22, declared by the City Council, in Chicago.
”It`s much more common to have districts than individually designated buildings in this area,” says Brad White, an attorney and partner in Clarion Associates, a firm known nationally for its work with historic preservation ordinances-laws that work to help keep historic areas looking historic.
Thirty municipalities in the Chicago area have historic preservation ordinances; some of them grant a local commission the right to ”binding review” over changes to houses; others simply let the commission make suggestions as to appropriate treatment of buildings.
No ordinances in this area seem to be as strict as those in places like Charleston, S.C., where even the color of a front door must be approved.
”Typically, in Illinois we don`t worry so much about paint colors,”
says White. ”We`re willing to offer advice about colors-for instance, the painted ladies you see today are typically much more colorful than they were” 100 years ago.
To White, historic preservation ordinances are ”just another land use regulation, like zoning. One of the benefits of preservation is giving each one of the homeowners in the area the satisfaction that the character of the neighborhood they live in will be retained. It`s not really that different from the community making sure that lawns are mowed and houses maintained.”
`Praise and glory`
There are a lot of misconceptions about landmark status, says McKasy-Donlin. ”Some people shy away from it because they think it means they can`t paint the interior as they like, or that they must open their house to the public. But the regulations affect only the exterior of the house. And when you restore an old house, it gets you praise and glory and recognition.” It can also carry other benefits: ”Landmark status can even safeguard your home from demolition,” she says. ”Believe me, they`ll look twice before they demolish a house that`s on the (National) Register (of Historic Places)
to widen a freeway.”
And, adds Vince Michael, ”you can qualify for a property tax freeze program if you do major rehabilitation on the exterior of a house, as long as you`re keeping the exterior of the house in its original condition.”
How much is enough?
But even if you don`t live in a historic district, it can still be worthwhile to restore your older home. The question, of course, is just how far to go.
”That`s really up to the individual,” says Michael. ”The exterior is the public face of the building, and that`s the part we would encourage everyone to maintain or restore. The problem with restoration is that it can be so expensive. If you have a Victorian, maybe features were taken off-a turret taken off, porches filled in, siding put on. Those are big jobs, to bring them back, and no one can require you to restore them.”
Another thing to consider is where you live. If you live in an area replete with historic houses, like Evanston or St. Charles, you may want to take more care with the authentic details than if you own a lone Victorian farmhouse surrounded by newer buildings in a place like Arlington Heights.
An informal survey of people who`ve done restoration work on houses they were living in shows a strong preference for concentrating on daily habitation rather than creating a museum-like setting.
”Anybody who fixes up old houses is from one of two schools: the historic preservation side-to make it museum-quality, almost-or from my side, which is that a house is a home,” says Greer Haseman of River Forest, an agent with Coldwell Banker/Sprafka of Oak Park.
Haseman and her husband, Carl, have stripped the siding from their 100-year-old residence and will soon be painting the wood, in classic
restorationist fashion. But they`re also planning to remove the original front and back porches from the house, and replace them with a wrap-around veranda. ”They`re in bad shape, and I don`t think they were really very well thought out,” says Haseman, who adds that her philosophy of rehabbing ”gives me the freedom to do what I think will look best. Once the new porch is on, anyone driving by is going to figure it was there originally.”
”The gist of the approach is that you have to be able to modernize and update conveniences,” adds Sandra Wilcoxon, director of the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio Foundation in Oak Park, which was able to bring back its historic building to the way it looked in 1909. ”If people want to go beyond restoring the exteriors of their homes-and I think it`s admirable when they do-we suggest they restore their entryways, living rooms and dining rooms. You can get fixtures with an older look, to fit in with the character of the house. But when a family`s living in a house, you have to be practical.”
You also have to be realistic about the cost.
”This has been a smaller version of the movie `The Money Pit,` ” says Gloria Onischuk, who believes in thoughtful restoration with an eye to real life.
When she and her husband, Daniel, bought their Oak Park Queen Anne 14 years ago to have space for their large family, it was in distressed condition, to say the least. The heating system had burst, taking with it the radiators and water pipes; the resultant flood claimed the first-floor ceilings and floors. The only room that was spared was the lovely dining room. The first thing they did was invest in a new heating system; then they gradually restored first the inside, then the outside.
”It took my sons four years to strip the exterior of the house down to bare wood-each one did a side,” she says. The rooms were redone at the same gradual pace.
”You need goals,” observes Onischuk. ”There`s no way you could do everything to a house like this in one year, even if you could manage it financially.”
McKasy-Donlin also urges restorers to keep records of all the changes they make and the research they do, for future owners of your house.
”The main thing we`re looking for,” she concludes, ”is exterior authenticity-and, even more, people who will pass the preservation ethic, the enthusiasm for preservation, on to the next generation.”
HELP FOR HISTORIC HOUSE BUFFS
Helpful reading matter on historic houses is available from several sources.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation`s Center for Historic Houses offers ”The Old House Starter Kit,” a thick packet whose centerpiece is a bundle of articles dealing with everything from ”Spotting Trouble Before You Buy” to ”Creating a Historic Landmark.” To order a kit, send $14 to the center at 1785 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20036.
To help you trace your house`s past, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks offers an eight-page booklet, ”Your House Has a History.” For your free copy, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the commission at Room 516, 320 N. Clark St., Chicago 60610.
A book called ”How to Fix Up Your Old House,” available from the Landmark Preservation Council, ”deals with the vernacular Chicago house and what details are important,” says Vince Michael, Chicago programs director of the council. To order the book, call 922-1742 or send $6.50 plus $1.50 for postage and handling to the council at Room 752, 53 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago 60604.
