Potential Teardown of 122-year-old Hinsdale House Gets Trustees' Attention

The potential demolition of a 122-year-old Hinsdale home drew comments at Tuesday night's Village of Hinsdale Board of Trustees meeting from village officials who'd rather not see it go.

Village manager Dave Cook said village staff has been encouraging the future owners of 206 N. Washington St., through conversations with their architects, to reconsider tearing down the home built in 1890 after hearing a teardown is being considered.

“We’re making progress, but they’re more concerned with the interior of the house than the exterior,” Cook said, noting that the interior is not conducive to “a big modern family.”

The current owners of the home have reached an agreement with the new buyers, The Doings reported, and the deal is expected to be final by the end of the month.

The house was on and off the market for two-and-a-half years, current owner Steven Embree told the paper.

Cook said he’s been told the buyers might consider a “deconstruct and reconstruct” project that would seek to reuse as much original material from the home's exterior as possible. Brian Hickey of Teardowns.com, which listed the home, told The Doings the same thing.

Read the full Doings story here.

Hinsdale building commissioner Rob McGinnis said the house does not have any local or national historic designation, so the village has no power to protect the home.

"Unfortunately, it looks like a goner," McGinnis said.

According to Mary Sterling's book Hinsdale's Historic Homes, the Washington street home was built in 1890 by Herman and Phebe Fox. Herman was a Civil War veteran who ran a store with his brother at the corner of Washington and Hinsdale Avenues.

The property is an example of Hinsdale’s “spectacular historic architecture,” trustee Bob Saigh said Tuesday.

“I honestly had the feeling that in this case, with 206 North Washington, the last owners may indeed not have known all the history of that home,” Saigh said, “and if that’s the case that’s really a shame.”

Village President Tom Cauley said that even though the village can't halt demolition, staff should continue to encourage the homeowners to preserve the house as much as possible.

“It would really be a shame if that house came down,” Cauley said. 

Here's what Hinsdale-Clarendon Hills Patch's Facebook fans are saying:

• Jane: Love this house! Don't tear it down!
• Emily: This is so sad!
• Jaclyn: What?! Did this house used to be purple!
• Bonnie: i wish i could buy it !
• Gregg: No, No, No!
• Vicki: GRRR! Why didnt the village throw a historical status on this! Can't believe so much of Hinsdale's history is being demolished!!
• Jane: So sad!
• teardowns.com: The last time we saw this kind of push-back was when the Zook house was moved to KLM - remember that? Having lived in Hinsdale all my life and having had actually grown up in a similar home on S. Washington - I'm wondering why all the sadness? The seller is happy, the buyer is happy - why are you sad?

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