There are a number of preservation resources online. The following
list is a sampling of informative sites that we think that you may be interested in. Please note that all links open in a new browser window, to return
to the LPCI site, close the new window.
Edward Hegeler commissioned W.
W. Boyington, the architect of Chicago's famous Water Tower, to design the
Mansion. Built in the Second Empire style, the Mansion is a grand presence
in the Illinois Valley. The lavish 16,000-square-foot, seven-level home
features a mansard roof; dormer windows; molded cornices; decorative
brackets; and a tower crowned by a 30-foot cupola.
Hegeler Carus Mansion, LaSalle
The Mansion is a solid brick
construction covered with a type of stucco that has been smoothed and tooled
to resemble massive stone blocks. A horseshoe staircase leads guests to the
main entrance of the home and to an elegant wrap-around porch that graces
three sides of the residence, a full story above ground.
Restored Ceiling
Because zinc was
readily available from the nearby Matthiessen & Hegeler Zinc Company, the
metal is used throughout the Mansion. The flat roof, gutters, and downspouts
are zinc, which does not rust. The Mansion sits on part of what was once a
three-acre estate that featured extensive walking paths, a gazebo, a
reflecting pond, flower gardens, a greenhouse, tennis courts, and a railroad
trolley car.
Laundry
Room
The Hegeler Carus Mansion and its
collection are a direct link to that which made Illinois a world cultural
center in the later 19th century. The treasures of the Hegeler Carus Mansion
show it to be the most important survivor of German heritage of its time.
This is a unique distinction not only for La Salle and Illinois, but also
for the United States."
-Rolf Achilles,
Art Historian and Professor,
School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
For further information, visit the
Hegeler Carus website.
[VISIT SITE]
Citizens for Glen Ellyn Preservation
We are a group of citizens who
want to safeguard the distinctive character,
history and architectural integrity of the Glen Ellyn community through
historic preservation, planning and sensible growth.
The members of
Citizens
for Glen Ellyn Preservation came together because
of their concern about the number of teardowns in the Village of Glen Ellyn,
the types of buildings targeted for teardowns and the size of the structures
replacing those buildings. [VISIT SITE]
Illinois Historic Sites
The Historic Sites Division of
the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency oversees a remarkable array of
historically significant places.
They range from the earthen-mound remnants
of a prehistoric Native American city at Cahokia Mounds to Springfield’s
Dana-Thomas House, a twentieth-century masterpiece designed by architect
Frank Lloyd Wright. Several sites celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s life and
legacy, while others recognize the Illinois roots of such literary figures
such as Carl Sandburg and Vachel Lindsay. [VISIT SITE]
The Farnsworth House, built by
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1951 and located near Plano, Illinois, is one of
the most famous examples of modernist domestic architecture;
considered unprecedented in its day.
Visit this masterpiece of
steel-and-glass design on the banks of the Fox River. Mies’ temple-like
pavilion both invites and challenges visitors – its unsurpassed views
through transparent walls will cause you to consider anew how a man-made
object best relates to nature. It’s not like any house you have ever been
in!
[VISIT SITE]
Landmarks Illinois
Suite 1315
53 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604
tel. 312-922-1742
fax 312-922-8112
