352 N. COMMONWEALTH AVENUE
HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE
352 N. Commonwealth Avenue was built for Arthur and Molly Levine in 1949. The home was built by Arthur as he had a business in the construction industry. He owned a variety of companies in Elgin working as a builder, developer, lumber yard retailer and real estate broker. It is said that the Levines change the physical appearance of pre/post war Elgin with this new type of style and construction.
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
Architecturally, 352 N. Commonwealth epitomizes the classic mid-century ranch with its sleek, low roof and its wide, overhanging eaves. Each of the gables display large horizontal louvered roof vents, typical of mid-century ranch homes. This horizontal motif is repeated in the over-sized, wide, horizontal two-over-two double-hung windows of custom, non-standards sizes, and the large sweeping expanses of the picture windows. As expected in a mid-century ranch, the chimney is designed to be visible from the exterior of the building. It is very large, distinctively rectangular and framed on either side by large windows constructed of glass-block.
TIMELINE OF PREVIOUS OWNERS
Sources: 2011 Heritage Plaque Application; Audio: TextAloud