One of the biggest pluses of buying a historic property today is the plethora of resources available.
You can call your local government to find out whether your home or neighborhood has local landmark designation. The group responsible is usually a separate preservation commission or a part of the planning department, says Roberta Deering, director of the Chicago office of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.
To find out whether your house or neighborhood is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, call the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency in Springfield at 217-785-4512. You can also get a detailed list of all of Illinois’ National Register landmarks by sending $1.25 to Evelyn Taylor, editor, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, 1 Old State Capitol Plaza, Springfield, Ill. 62701.
When it comes to doing work, a booklet, “Guidelines and Standards for Rehabilitation and New Construction,” will help owners in the city of Chicago to navigate the rules. It’s free by calling 312-744-3200.
Some real estate firms and agents are gaining special recognition for their expertise in helping owners buy and sell historic dwellings. They are being certified through the National Trust’s 4-year-old “National Trust Real Estate” program. Interested firms or agents pay initiation and annual fees based on the number of agents in the firm and attend a two-day workshop to learn about historic properties and districts. So far, 35 firms and 700 agents nationwide have been certified, including Laura Good and her Ariston Realty Corp. in River Forest.
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An architectural historian and a city planner founded Historic Certification Consultants in Chicago to help owners wade through the paperwork, know what work is eligible for the property tax freeze and compile documents and photographs. “A lot of people don’t know that sweat equity counts toward the 25 percent amount (of assessed valuation) that needs to be spent,” says Susan Benjamin, the historian, whose partner is planner Victoria Granacki.
How can you get a house designated as historic?
You can nominate your own house or a neighbor’s (in certain cases you don’t need the owner’s approval) or a district for local or national landmark status because you believe it’s architecturally or historically significant.
If the home and district are in the city, the Landmarks Division studies its records and researches the buildings in that neighborhood. “We try to decide whether the house and area are important and why. . . ,” says Thurow. Interested parties should call the Landmarks Division at 312-744-3200.
To nominate a house outside the city, real estate agent Good advises getting a copy of a village or town’s preservation ordinance and its architectural guidelines and attending meetings of its historic commission.
Decisions on homes in Illinois that seek listing on the National Register are first made by the Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council, which meets quarterly, says Ted Hild of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Interested parties should call Ann Virginia Swallow at 217-785-4512, Hild says.