1039 BELLEVUE AVENUE

HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE

In 1918, William Grote, a trustee of the Elgin Improvement Company, sold lot 22 to Charles Pease. Pease lived in Champaign, Illinois and sold lot 22 to Helen and Charles Stebbins, residents of Carpentersville, in 1926.  By  the 1931-32 City Directory for Elgin, a John Collins is listed as renting 1039 Bellevue Avenue.  

Charles Stebbins remained the owner through his time as a pastor of the First Congregational Church in Carpentersville until his death in 1938. He was ordained in 1901 and was pastor at several churches in Ohio and Illinois. Rev. Stebbins was from New York state where he had served in the National Guard as a Director of the American Red Cross at Camp Grant during WWI. 

In 1944, 1039 Bellevue was sold to Libbie Caldwell, a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, a women's service organization founded in 1890 to promote history and ties to the Revolutionary War. Caldwell was also active in the Elgin chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star, a Masonic organization. After she passed away in 1955, the property exchanged hands multiple times until 1960 when Jacob and Anna Glotzer purchased the home. Jacob was a psychologist at the Elgin Mental Health Center for a number of years. 1039 Bellevue was relinquished by the Glotzer family after Anna's passing in 1990.

ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

1039 Bellevue Avenue is considered by the Historic Resources in the Northeast Neighborhood: A Summary to be a contributing bungalow to the historic significance of the surrounding area. Elements of the bungalow style seen here are the low pitched gabled roof; exposed roof rafters; the partial-width porch; and rectangular plan. It is 1 and 1/2 stories tall and showcases typical multi-paned over one sash windows. Craftsman elements are noted in the exposed rafter ends and the exterior red-brick chimney and the solid railing porch supports. City of Elgin building permits note that the garage was built in 1938 and the dormer of the north elevation was added in 1964. 

Sources: 2004 Heritage Plaque Application; Audio: TextAloud