A community of preservation

BY EMMA WOLF PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF FRIENDS OF EDWARDS HOUSE

In 2015, a group of local Downers Grove residents came together to try to save the renowned 1892 Queen Anne-style Edwards House on historic Maple Ave. from demolition. The house was lost, but the group’s vision was not. The group of residents formed the Downers Grove preservation group “Friends of the Edwards House” (FOEH).

“Our mission is to advocate, educate and celebrate Downers Grove’s architectural history by helping to landmark homes,” said Shanon Tully, cochair of Friends of the Edwards House. “By landmarking homes, we not only save them from potential demolition, but we also bestow pride in the historical integrity of the homes.”

Fast forward to 2020, and the nonprofit organization currently has nine directors and seven members. The group has landmarked 23 homes and two train stations.

“Although it was unfortunate to lose the Edwards House, the silver lining is that its loss brought historical preservation to the forefront in Downers Grove,” cochair Christine Martin said. “This is important, because once the homes are gone, they are gone forever.”

FOEH sits down with Downers Grove residents and goes through the landmarking process with them, intending to make the process as seamless as possible.

“The process of landmarking my house was very pleasant, because the FOEH members sat down with me and took me through the entire process so I understood everything,” said Louise Trucano, a Downers Grove landmarked homeowner. “I’m proud to live in a landmarked house as a result of this amazing group.”

In addition to local recognition by Downers Grove residents, FOEH has also received statewide recognition for the tremendous success of what started out as a grassroots organization. In 2017, FOEH was given the Richard H. Driehaus Preservation Award for advocacy.

“We were incredibly honored to receive the award,” Martin said. “There were several million-dollar preservation projects that were also nominated, so we were humbled that our small grassroots group won.”

In addition to assisting in the home landmarking process, FOEH also does a yearly landmarked homes tour, has a booth at the Downers Grove Farmers Market in the summer, holds lectures/ presentations to educate the public on the importance of historical preservation, and publish a landmarked homes calendar.

Along with educating the community on historic preservation, members of FOEH have also educated themselves.

“We are a relatively new group, so we are still learning and growing,” Tully said. “Being part of this group has taught me things I never would have known otherwise.”

While modern homes are lustrous, there is a certain charm that is only found in the beauty of historic homes. FOEH helps preserve the history of these historic homes by landmarking them and preserving history for generations to come.