521 N. GROVE AVENUE

HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE

In May 1891 the land for 521 N. Grove Avenue was sold to James V. Mink for $850.  James sold the property to his brother, Leander Mink, only six weeks later for $3500, suggesting that it had been improved. Leander then put two trust deeds on the property, as he had opened a grocery store on Congdon Avenue near Preston and records suggest he used this loan money to help start up his business.  The nation's economic downtown in 1893 lingered in Elgin until a few years later, affecting Leander who foreclosed on 521 in 1897. 

A Sheriff's Sale of the foreclosed property was held in 1898.  521 N. Grove was bought by Charles Deane who rented it out until he sold the house in 1901 to Walter and Mary Rasmussen. Walter and his son-in-law Fred Bauman were both truck drivers and the whole family appears to reside at Grove Avenue until 1928 when Walter, Mary, Fred and the whole family moved to 29 N. Edison Avenue. 521 N. Grove became a rental property until the Rasmussen's sold the property in 1947.

After it sold in 1947, a period of instability followed until 2005 when 521 N. Grove Avenue was bought and restored.

ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

521 N. Grove Avenue is an example of the Gable-Front-and-Wing style, a vernacular descendant of Greek Revival houses.  Popular from around the 1850s until roughly the 1930s, elements of the Gable-Front-and-Wing style are a front facing gable, steeply pitch roof, a side-gabled wing at a right angle to the body of the house and a shed roof made in an L-shape formed by the wing.  Minimal decorative detail of varying styles was added.  Here, we see see some vertical banding, simple window surrounds and a triangle pediment that mimics the front gable over the second floor windows. 

TIMELINE OF PREVIOUS OWNERS

Sources: 2013 Heritage Plaque Application; Audio: TextAloud