A Preview of Algonquin's Old Town Walking Tour

In Old Town Algonquin, a sign for an electric fence stands in stark contrast to the historic placard by the front door of the historic home built in 1909. The residence was one of 39 attractions featured on Saturday’s “Footsteps Through Our History,” tour - coordinated by The Village of Algonquin Historic Commission.

The historic district today includes 300 structures and sites, with borders of those designated when Algonquin was created in 1890.

This year, the Commission offers a free brochure and map detailing the points of interest on S. Main, S. Washington, S. Harrison, Madison Streets, and LaFox River Drive.

With mine in hand, I took a two-hour self-guided stroll of seven blocks of it Saturday. I knew I always liked the fancy woodwork on Victorian homes, and now I know those ornate carvings are called gable end decorations. Each stop on the tour is so distinct, for me it was a no cell-phone zone where I opted to take my time and enjoy the architectural details mapped out by the Commission.

I started at The Congregational Church, at 109 Washington.

It was established in 1850 as an organization but the actual building was erected in 1868, according to the Commission’s research. I noticed beauty on foot that I never would have seen from my car. The bell tower, which is located at the corner now, was originally in the center until it was moved in 1913. Leaded stained glass was also installed then, and with my camera, I was able to zoom in and see just how different real stained glass is from the new stuff. At the turn of the century, churches were often the only hub of the community, and this one actually served as Algonquin’s first movie house, showing silent films from 1898 through the roaring 20s.

Next, I walked north a block. At Three Washington stands a home that conjured up memories of homes in Galena, Illinois, near my hometown.  Owned by Dorr Thomas, whose name still remains on the sidewalk in front, the house was built in 1909. It’s huge now, and back then, this would have made a major statement. Mr. Thomas was prominent – he owned a meat market, and the grist mill. A sign for an electric fence out front is striking – this house has evolved from the days when horses were hitched to posts out front, to the 21^st century, when animals are contained by technology.

I continued north to La Fox Drive, where the home formerly owned by Edward Swanson at 228 stands. This house, built of stucco, was actually declared the “house of the future” by its builder, because the low-maintenance material would lend to warmth in the winter, coolness in the summer and a resistance to termites and other critters.

The porch on that one is so inviting, I wanted to ring the doorbell and ask the owner for a closer look. But I resisted the temptation and referred back to the Commission brochure. As evidenced by its chart of architectural features, clapboard siding, stamped metal friezes, fishscale shingles and soffits, which I recognized all along my walk, history is preserved in Old Algonquin, alongside progress that brings us motorized vehicles, cellular phones and electric fencing.

The Algonquin Historic Commission hosts workshops the third and fourth Saturdays of each month, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, at Historic Village Hall.