418 ARLINGTON AVENUE
HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE
In 1913, the property, later to have 418 Arlington Avenue built upon it, was purchased by Charles and Bertha Read for $750. It wasn’t until 1914 when construction officially began, as in that time Read took out a sizable loan from Elgin Loan and Homestead Association (now Home Federal Savings and Loan).
Maxwell Kuttner and his son, Albert, were well-known masonry contractors from East Dundee and worked together to build the home for the Reads. This house proved particularly special as it was built specifically for Maxwell’s daughter, Bertha, and her husband, Charles.
Charles was born in England in 1881 and moved to Illinois. Bertha was born and raised in Illinois, though her father, Maxwell, was born and raised in Germany. The next year, Maxwell continued the meaningful trend and started working on 424 Arlington Avenue for his second daughter, Louise.
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
418 Arlington Avenue is a Prairie style home of the American foursquare typology. It was built as a single family home sitting at two and one-half stories tall. The walls exhibit an all brick exterior with a concrete foundation and a pyramidal roof in addition to wide overhanging eaves. The one story full-width porch has detailed brickwork near the cornice. The hipped roof does not have a window, rather utilizing wooden vents instead. The garage was constructed in 1926.
TIMELINE OF PREVIOUS OWNERS
Sources: 1998 Heritage Plaque Application; Audio: TextAloud