Places from the Past: The Keyhole House

From gutting kitchens to replacing ancient potbelly stoves, Colette and Robert Rohan, owners of the Keyhole House, have experienced the ups and downs of home renovation. Nestled among a cluster of trees and a children’s playground, it may be easy to miss the timeless Victorian home as you speed off to work in the morning.  But after speaking with the hospitable Rohans, you can get a sense of how this amazing structure was steadily brought back to life. 

Erasmus Minnick saw the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago as a perfect opportunity to showcase the rural community of Oak Lawn as the perfect getaway from the hectic confines of the city. Always a savvy businessman, Minnick, using borrowed money and materials, constructed a lavish model home along 96^th Street.  Designed in the popular Queen Anne architectural style of the day, the house’s ornate woodwork and decorative keyhold-shaped, stained-glass window (from which the home gets its name), represented the pinnacle of craftsmanship.  Impressed with his progress, Minnick planned to further develop his 173 acres into a full subdivision, catering to wealthy Chicagoans.

Unfortunately, a crippling recession hit the country before the home could be completed. Unable to pay off a debt of $547.70, a lien was placed on the entire property, including the partially-finished Keyhole House. As the home changed owners several times during the 1890’s, the dream of developing the area into a high-end neighborhood gradually faded away. It seemed that the splendid building would fall into disrepair.

In 1915, Dr. Edward Schussler, one of Oak Lawn’s first practicing physicians, purchased the home for $3,500. Working from what now is the Rohans’ family room; Schussler transformed the first floor into his own medical office. A pair of wooden benches, still in place today, served as a waiting room for patients.  If further treatment was necessary, Schussler had a second-floor bedroom converted into a temporary infirmary. 

“Once we had a woman stop by who claimed that she had grown up near the house,” current owner Colette Rohan reminisced. “When we took her upstairs, she pointed out the spots where patients would have been kept. It was pretty weird to know that somebody’s cousin might have passed away here."

While working at his practice, Dr. Schussler raised several children, all of whom became successful professionals. In 1975, as the last remaining family member put the house up for sale, Michael and Brenda Rzechula, always eager to own a historic building, bought the home. Knowing that there was an immense amount of work to be done, the couple rolled up their sleeves and toiled for ten years, replacing the roof and refinishing the ceilings. But the burden of raising five children, coupled with working full-time, took its toll on the family. Answering an ad in the newspaper, the Rohans purchased the partially-renovated home in 1985.

As Robert and Colette moved in, they were amazed to still find a wood-burning oven in the kitchen and a fully-functioning cast iron stove in the dining room.  Throughout the decade that they had lived there, the Rzechulas used both antiquated appliances on a daily basis, instead of modern amenities.

“They claimed that it helped keep the bills manageable,” Robert remarked. “In a certain way,” Colette added, “you could say that the Rzechulas were the first green family in Oak Lawn."

Despite Michael’s constant remodeling, the Keyhole House was still a far cry from how it appears today. Beginning with the kitchen, Robert, a skilled electrician, spent nearly two months stripping and sanding the walls all the way down to the studs.  With help from a retired craftsman, the interior was re-plastered as each subsequent room was completed. It was a long, drawn-out process that demanded not only patience, but also a great deal of referral to the extensive research conducted by the Rzechulas.

During the near-constant cycle of reconstruction, neighbors and friends retained an emotional attachment to the home. When the Rohans began refinishing the house’s siding, several concerned citizens contacted the couple, worried that the exterior would remain unfinished.  It became a common occurrence for strangers to knock on the door and offer the Rohans suggestions as to how the structure’s appearance might be improved.

Although renovations are never truly complete, especially when dealing with a century-old building, the Village of Oak Lawn, in cooperation with the Historic Preservation Committee, designated the Keyhole House a local landmark on August 29, 1998. 

“It was a very busy day,” Colette remembered.  “The mayor was present at the ceremony and we had people going in and out of the house all day."  Many curious onlookers simply walked into the home to admire the result of the Rohans’ hard work.

Today, the historic structure, located at 5400 West 96^th Street, remains a constant reminder of Oak Lawn’s past.  If you are fortunate enough to get a glimpse inside, everything from the brass door hinges to the hard-wood floors speak to the skill of not only the original builders, but also the decades of changes made by three different families. 

When asked to offer any advice to those interested in remodeling a historic home, the Rohans were quick to respond.  “Make sure you take a lot of before and after pictures,” Colette laughed.  “That way, you’ll avoid getting discouraged during the renovations process."

For more information on historic locations, including the full history of the Keyhole House, visit the Local History Room of the Oak Lawn Public Library.