Lake View House Built Nearly 140 Years Ago Torn Down

CHICAGO, IL — One of Chicago's oldest homes has been demolished. The house at 691 West Wellington Avenue in Lake View was torn down last week after standing for nearly 140 years. Ward Miller, Preservation Chicago's executive director, said the home was built in the 1870s after The Great Chicago Fire.

"That was really unfortunate, because the home described the history and evolution of the buildings and houses in Lake View prior to its annexation in 1889 to the City of Chicago," Miller said.

He said that certain structural details on the home, such as its asbestos siding, stopped it from being protected under the Chicago Historic Resources Survey in the 1980s, and the home slipped through the cracks.

"We've done some outreach to the owners in the past, but apparently one or both of the owners had health issues, and despite being there for many many years, sold the building, and then it was demolished," Miller said. "It was really unfortunate that we lost it."

He said Preservation Chicago is dedicated to creating a better system so that such homes and buildings don't slip through the cracks.

"We've been looking at some type of landmark district in the Lake View community," Miller said. "We've been working with city aldermen to determine which buildings in the community would be included and where the borders would be."

He said historic, standalone homes such as the one demolished last week tend to attract long-term families and stakeholders in a community, and when the buildings are torn down, those community members often move to the suburbs.

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