SWAN-Elgin

Elgin is well-known for its Painted Ladies, but in the 1920’s a new style of house began sweeping the nation–the Craftsman Bungalow.  First developed in California, the Craftsman Bungalow was 1 to 1-1/2 stories high, with a low pitched roof with a wide, unenclosed eave overhang, and a full or partial width front porch.  The Southwest Area Neighborhood has a stunning collection of Craftsman Bungalows plus several gardens which we, once more, invite you to see.

Please join us for Part Two of our Bungalows & Blooms Walking Tour this coming Saturday, July 24, at 9:30 AM.  We will meet in the driveway of 626 Orange St. on the corner of Orange and Gertrude.  Parking is on both sides of Gertrude and on the north side of Orange.  We will visit 27 bungalows–exterior only–plus 5 extra gardens from Wabash to Orchard this time.  It is a little over a mile long and will take approximately 1 -1 1/2 hours to complete.  There will be more “jerkinhead gable roofs” and “piano windows” to see.  As last time, a booklet telling about the architectural features of the houses and the historical information of the first owners will  be furnished. This is a joint effort of SWAN and the Elgin History Museum.

Jennifer Fritz-Williams, Historic Preservation Specialist with the City of Elgin and Pat Hill, neighborhood resident and bungalow owner, will lead the tours.

Tickets are $5 and may be purchased the day of the tour.

SWAN and the Elgin History Museum will present a walking tour of some of the bungalows and gardens that make SWAN a wonderful place to live. Join us on Saturday, May 15 at 12:30 PM at Zion Lutheran Church (330 Griswold Street).

See the “Bungalow Belts” on Orange Street and Morgan Street that contain Chicago Bungalows, and Sears Bungalows on Orange and Oak Streets. What are the characteristics that make a bungalow? What decorative features are unique to bungalows? There are 7 different types of bungalows, defined by roof type and all are present in the Southwest neighborhood. Architectural specialist Sarosh Saher will be your guide.

Tickets are $5 each and can be purchased the day of the tour.

Hats off to the Preservation Committee for organizing a spectacular tour!

The Mayor’s Awards Presentation will be onThursday, May 13. A Dessert Reception begins at 7:00 pm, with the Presentation of Awards beginning at 7:30.

SWAN will receive 12 more Historic Plaques to display on our beautiful historic houses, plus 3 more Awards for our neighborhood. Dawn Hartney will be presented an award for leading our group in putting together our Sears Trolley Tour last May and Kathy Moore and Stacy Reynolds will each receive awards for their outstanding efforts in recruiting neighbors to have their houses researched and plaqued.

Everyone is invited. Let’s support our winners and our neighborhood!

Just before Earth Day, join SWAN”s Preservation Committee as we spend a beautiful Saturday planting trees at Burnidge Woods. We’ll meet at noon on Saturday, April 17 and should be done by 3 PM. The city has selected this site for new trees near the new Sherman Hospital.

To reach the site, head west on Big Timber, and then turn turn right (north) onto Lyle.  Then, you make an immediate left onto Monday Dr.  You can park near the corner of Monday and Banks.

We hope to see you there!

Last October, SWAN received a grant of $1000 from the YMCA  Activate Elgin Program and a grant from the America the Beautiful Fund to provide free vegetable and flower seeds. The YMCA grant will be used to provide $50 to 20 homes in SWAN. The money must be spent on gardening materials or equipment. To obtain this grant you must complete an application. Recipients will be determined and notified by April 18^th. If you receive the grant, you must purchase your garden materials or equipment and submit the receipt to SWAN for reimbursement.

Anybody that is interested in obtaining free seeds may do so by requesting them on the application or by contacting Mike Curtin. There are plenty of seeds for everyone.  Please take advantage of this unique opportunity.

If you are looking for cost-effective garden ideas to enhance the look of your property, consider the various packages offered by the Kane-Dupage Soil & Water Conservation District.  This organization offers a butterfly package, a humming bird package, and a rain garden package for only $62 per package.  The last day to order these packages is April 30^th.  If you are fortunate enough to receive a YMCA grant, then the cost of these packages to the homeowner is only $12.

We also need volunteers to help plant trees on Saturday April 17th.  We will be planting between 1500-2000 trees in Burnidge Woods and need 20-30 volunteers. Again, contact Mike Curtin at michaelcurtin31@gmail.com if you’re interested.

Once again, May will be Preservation Month in Elgin. SWAN will be hosting our first-ever Bungalow Walk on May 15, and there will be many other activities throughout the city, including:

More details will be available in the coming weeks.

To get involved with SWAN’s Bungalow Walk, contact Pat Hill.

Attend tonight’s Elgin Alive Workshop sponsored by Elgin Community Network. Retrofitting Your Home: Save Green, Be Green will teach you how to improve energy efficiency through cost-effective updates, including tax credits, ComEd incentives and other city programs.

The program will take place tonight, Tuesday March 16 from 6:30 – 8:30 PM at Gail Borden. Refreshments will be available, and all attendees will receive a CFL bulb.

A housing development planned near the border of Hampshire and Burlington in unincorporated Kane County will take the concept of green living beyond energy efficient light bulbs and rain barrels.

Read the rest of this entry »

By James Fuller | Daily Herald Staff

Kane County is looking at extending the “Windy City” moniker a bit farther west with the creation of a new set of regulations that will both permit and oversee the use of small wind turbines to power homes and businesses.

Read the rest of this entry »