468 NORTH STREET

HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE

The house at 468 North Street was built in 1913 to serve as the residence of Emil Gottfried Carlson and his wife, Hulda (Wilson) Carlson. The Carlsons were part of Elgin's growing working-class population in the early decades of the twentieth century. The home was built on land that was originally part of the B.W. Raymond Addition. The parcel was named for its owner, Benjamin W. Raymond, a mayor of Chicago, and, most important to the City of Elgin's history, founder and first president of the National Watch Company in 1864, later known as the Elgin National Watch Company. 

The Carlsons were married on September 3, 1913 and shortly moved in their newly built home at 468 North Street. The house that Emil and Hulda Carlson moved into at 468 North Street reflected their middle-income status and working class roots. Emil and Hulda lived in the house for more than thirty years. The Carlson family owned the home until 1946, when the heirs of the Carlsons sold the property to Zilpha Dickerson and Edith Shepherd.

ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

468 North Street is a two-story, wood framed house with a full basement and an attic with three dormers, one each at the west, south and east elevations. The main roof is hipped, as is the roof of each dormer. The exposed foundation is poured concrete. A typical foursquare, the house is two bays wide and two bays deep. The first story features clapboard siding and the upper story is wood shingle. The full-width, side-entry front porch has three simple columns supporting its hipped roof. The railing is wood with square stiles. The porch steps are also wood. Beneath the porch, a wood enclosure covers a root cellar. 

What makes 468 North Street rather distinct from the majority of other foursquare forms is its projection on the east elevation to accommodate the interior stair landing. Evident at 468 North Street is the prairie style's emphasis on horizontality, seen on the clapboard and shingle siding and the deep recesses under the main porch and dormer roofs.

TIMELINE OF PREVIOUS OWNERS

Sources: 2008 Heritage Plaque Application; Audio: TextAloud