396 DIVISION STREET
HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE
396 Division Street was built for Anton F. Schader in 1908. Anton was a German immigrant who, with his brother Frank, established the Herold Germania newspaper published in German. It was a successful venture until the end of WWI. Following the war, popularizing German heritage and culture declined and the newspaper folded. Anton was treasurer of the German American Editorial Association and president of the German American Press Association. In March of 1921, the Schaders sold their home to William and Lucy Foley.
Helen (nee Foley) Griffin joined her mother Lucy in ownership of the property in 1939. In 1961, Helen's husband became the next joint tenant owner, thereby keeping the property in ownership of the Foley family until it was sold in 1972.
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
396 Division Street has very little alterations since it was built in 1908 and is considered a contributing property in the Elgin Historic District Architectural and Historical Survey. 396 Division Street was built in the American Foursquare typology and reflects simplistic details throughout associated with the Free-classic sub-type of the Queen Anne style. The home exhibits a full-width front porch with cylindrical columns with Doric capitals and a pedimented roof above the front stairs. It has a pyramidal roof with wide, enclosed eaves and dormers found at three roof planes. The home also has original, colored glass windows on the south and west sides and a triple window arrangement with decorative elements above and below the windows at the east side.
TIMELINE OF PREVIOUS OWNERS
Sources: 1996 Heritage Plaque Application; Audio: TextAloud