10 HAMILTON AVENUE
HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE
In May of 1885 Dr. Salem Weld married Elizabeth Hoag. Together they later adopted their daughter, Mildred. The family lived at the home at 10 Hamilton Avenue, which was built in 1891 and completed in 1892, given Elgin City Directory research. In the 1891 Elgin City Directory, the Welds are listed at 362 Chicago, but by the 1892 edition, they are listed at 10 Hamilton.
Salem Weld grew up in St. Charles on a farm and went on to serve for the Union Army in the Civil War by 1862. He came back, he quickly moved to Cincinnati to finish medical school, later returning to Elgin to open a practice. After more than two decades of running that practice, he sold his stake and turned to the real estate market.
Weld and his wife Elizabeth were staples in Elgin social circles and Salem took to working in local politics later in life. The Weld family stayed in the home until about 1900 when they sold it to Christopher and Hulda Fischer. The Fischer family kept ownership via multiple parties until about 1945.
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
10 Hamilton Avenue is an attractive Free Classic Queen Anne style. Significant features include the irregular shaped floor plan, the 2 stories tall steeply-pitched hipped roof with prominent front-facing gable and the wrap around porch with round columns and wooden railings. The second story sleeping porch with a slight overhang with curved brackets is another character defining feature of the style. Wood shingle cladding on the exterior elevation and a bay window and one of the side elevations are also noteworthy stylistic features.
TIMELINE OF PREVIOUS OWNERS
Sources: 1992 Heritage Plaque Application; Audio: TextAloud