278 DOUGLAS AVENUE

HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE

In 1857, Abram and Amelia Hoagland purchased several lots in P. J. Kimball Jr.’s 3rd addition for $2,200. Abram was a lumber merchant born on June 9, 1808 in Howard, New York. He was enlisted as a corporal in the Civil War and married Amelia Ann Northrup. Abram and Amelia had two children, Theodore and Winfield. In 1870, Abram passed away and was buried at Bluff City Cemetery.

In 1872, Amelia paid $5,700 for the construction of an Italianate style home at 178 Mill Street, now known as 278 Douglas Avenue, financing part of the cost with a $3,400 mortgage. Amelia passed away in 1879. Her only surviving son, Winfield, inherited the property with his wife, Phoebe, who lived next door at 282 Douglas Avenue with their children, Charles, Ruth A. and Genevieve.

In 1885, Winfield sold 278 Douglas Avenue to William Shepard for $2,750. William was a physician who had an office in downtown Elgin. In 1898, the Shepards sold the property to Louis N. Seaman for $6,000. Louis was born in 1853 and was a lawyer and banker. He married Helen E. Terwilliger in 1880 and they lived at 278 Douglas Avenue with their children, Raymond, Arthur T. and Florence. Louis served as the city attorney from 1901 to 1902 and was president of the Y.M.C.A.

In 1910, the Seamans transferred the property to Delmont E. Wood for $1 who quickly sold the property to Edwin W. Stringer in 1912 for $6,550. The Stringers sold the property to J. V. Mink in December 1912 for $7,000 and within that same month, the property was again sold to Harris Goldman for $7,500.

Harris Goldman, according to census data, was born in either Russia, Poland or Lithuania. His parents are listed as Russian in the 1910 census. Harris immigrated in 1893 and was a naturalized United States citizen. He is first listed in Elgin in the 1894 City Directory as a junk dealer, living at 23 Brook. His home and business premises were located in the area now occupied by City Hall. Today, we would probably describe his company as a salvage or recycling operation.

In 1881, Harris married Anna Muriel Figlarsh, born December of 1855 in Warsaw, Poland. According to the 1900 census, Harris and Anna lived at 107 Dexter with their children David, Peter, Moses, Max, Louis, Sarah and Jacob. Their daughter, Adelaide, was born seven years later.

Anna died March 1, 1934, and is buried in the Jewish Cemetery in Forest Park, Illinois. After Anna’s death, Harris married Etta.

In addition to his junk business, Harris owned a number of properties in the neighborhood. Descendants recall that he rented these to recent immigrants. In 1919, the property at 282 Douglas, still owned by members of the Hoagland family who built 278 Douglas, went into foreclosure, and was sold at auction. Harris Goldman submitted the winning bid and bought the house for $3,000. In 1922 Goldman demolished it and with a mortgage built the existing apartment now numbered 280-82 Douglas Avenue.

In 1939, Harris Goldman died at the age of 90 of influenza. Harris was survived by nine children, David of Rockford, Moe and Louis of Kenosha, WI, Phillip, Sam and Max of Elgin, Mrs. Sarah Cohen and Miss Adelaide Goldman of Chicago, and Joseph of Batavia.

After Harris’ death, his properties were divided among his heirs. Phillip and Bessie Goldman lived at 265 Kimball and Max lived at 302 Douglas Avenue. Sam operated Goldman Liquor at 121 Brook Street.

The next occupant of 278 Douglas was Harris’ daughter, Sarah, although the title was held in the name of Helen Cohen Broude, Sarah‘s eldest daughter. Sarah, born August 1, 1894 in Elgin, married Louis Cohen in 1912. According to the 1930 census, Sarah and her husband lived at 600 Washington Boulevard in Oak Park, Illinois with their children; Helen, Berwin, Russel, Marvin, Jethro and Doev.  Louis B. Cohen was born in Kellen, Russia of Russian parents in 1862. His native language was Yiddish and he worked as a clothing merchant. Louis passed away on August 1, 1932 and is buried in Forest Park, Illinois in Charity Cemetery. After Sarah’s father’s death in 1939, she along with her children moved into 278 Douglas in 1940.

In 1949, Sarah split the house into two two-story apartments, one in front and one in the rear. In 1950, Helen transferred the property to her mother, Sarah, and in 1951, Sarah transferred it to her son Doev. In 1956, the property was transferred back to Sarah. Sarah died in 1966, and Doev established a director’s trust in the names of Marvin, Berwin, Helen, and Doev with American National Bank. The property was sold outside of the family in 1977.

ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

278 Douglas Avenue is of the Italianate Style. The Italianate Style was predominant in American domestic architecture from 1850 to 1880, although examples do occur from 1840-49 and 1886-90. These homes are most common in growing cities such as Elgin, from the east coast to the Midwest.

278 Douglas has the typical low-pitched hipped roof with wide eaves. The eave returns are supported by elaborate paired brackets. The front elevation is dominated by a large gable, echoed by the rear gable. In addition, there are gables the width of a single window on the south and north elevations. The windows are simple rectangles, with extended hoods.

The porch shown on the 1897 Sanborn map extended from the front door along the south elevation to the front wall of the house. By 1903, the porch was expanded to its present dimensions. Paired classical columns support the porch roof. The rear porch appears unchanged from the 1897-1950 Sanborn maps.

During Goldman’s occupancy at 278 Douglas Avenue, he constructed a Sukkah off of the rear porch around 1920. A Sukkah is a temporary structure constructed during the week-long Jewish festival of Sukkot which falls in September or October. The structures are meant to have a roof of which you are to see the stars. The Sukkah located at the rear of 278 Douglas Avenue is unusual as it is considered a permanent structure, however, it originally had a retractable roof where it would be opened during this festival. The hinges used to retract the roof are still on the structure and were preserved.

The home and the Sukkah were restored as a part of the City of Elgin’s Historic Rehabilitation Grant program in 2015 and 2017.

Sources: 2018 Heritage Plaque Application; Audio: TextAloud