226 WING PARK BOULEVARD
HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE
The 1925-26 Elgin City Directory is the first to list the address at 226 Wing Park Boulevard, with the owner being George D. Carbary. A life-long Elginite, Carbary was born in 1888. He married Lillian Friedland who also was born and raised in Elgin. He worked his way through the Watch Factory to make money to study to be a lawyer.
From 1915 to 1918, he was Elgin’s City attorney. By 1928, Carbary was elected the state’s attorney and quickly began cracking down on those out of line with prohibition efforts. Fines abound and hundreds of gallons of alcohol was seized and destroyed on Carbary’s order. Heavily involved in local law practice and law societies, he was mourned by many when he passed away in 1973.
Lillian remained in the home in it was sold in 1976.
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
226 Wing Park Boulevard is a nice example of the Mediterranean Villa influence on late Prairie style architecture. The Prairie Style is an American style conceived by Chicago architects who were known as Prairie School. Features are a low pitched, hipped roof with wide eaves; two stories with a one-story wing, lines that emphasize the horizontal appearance of the Illinois prairie use in window bands or banding between stories. The Mediterranean style features tile roofs and round topped windows and doors, often seen in the Italian manner.
TIMELINE OF PREVIOUS OWNERS
Sources: 1993 Heritage Plaque Application; Audio: TextAloud