Preservation of a Landmark Home, Austin in Chicago

The project was to develop a Preservation Report to investigate, identify findings, provide repair recommendations, and develop a repair budget for the restoration of this landmark home. The home is historically significant and is full of old craftsmen’s details and artifacts from the turn of the century of a bygone era in American architecture.

The two-story single- family wood structure home was built in 1871 for Charles Hitchcock. Mr. Hitchcock was a successful executive businessman of a railroad parts manufacturing company in Chicago. The home was designated a Chicago Landmark on July 7, 1992. When this house was built, Austin was an independent suburb, accessed from Chicago by commuter railroad. The second oldest house in the community. The home was built in the Italian style that was popular in America during the nineteenth century.