Darien Historic Building Teardown Defended

DARIEN, IL – The Society of Mount Carmel is defending its decision to demolish its historic White House, which some Darien residents are questioning on social media.

Built in the early 1900s, The White House, also known as Castle Eden, is at the corner of Frontage and Bailey roads.

Subscribe

In a statement this week, the society said the Carmelites bought the building, along with the surrounding 10 acres, in 1959 to become part of the Aylesford Retreat Center of the Carmelite Fathers.

The building serves as the home of Carmelite friars, both active and retired, the group said.

For the last eight years, the society has undertaken "exhaustive" assessments and inspections of the building to address structural repairs, according to the statement. After that, the group decided to proceed with demolition.

"This conclusion was not reached lightly," the society said. "Over time, the structure has suffered significant, compounding deterioration."

Building professionals told the society that the building required extensive, systemic repairs to meet basic safety codes and modern operational standards. The group said it could not afford such improvements.

"Demolition is the most prudent and responsible path forward," the society said. "It ensures the immediate safety of our grounds and allows us to redirect our focus and resources toward a sustainable future."

The society said the landscape, including 400-year-old oak trees, will be preserved.

The group also plans to salvage the Castle Eden gates, stained-glass windows, dining room wood paneling and period chandeliers. And the society wants to install a commemorative plaque to share the site's history.

"We are aware of the structure's significance and the many fond memories it holds for the surrounding community," the society said.

Darien approved the demolition permit.

In an email to Patch on Thursday, City Administrator Bryon Vana said he planned to clarify in the city's weekly newsletter that the demolition is solely the Carmelites' decision. The city, he said, was obligated to issue the permit.

"Some have expressed that the city should not have issued the demo permit, so there is still a misunderstanding out there," he said.

In June, Darien aldermen approved the Society of Mount Carmel's request for a home for priests in the Tara Hill neighborhood. The group paid nearly $1.2 million for the house.

The Carmelites are a religious order of the Catholic church, founded in the early 1200s.

Pope Francis was once quoted as saying, "Carmel teaches the church how to pray," according to the group's website.