607 DOUGLAS AVENUE

HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE

607 Douglas Avenue was designed by W. W. Abell and built by Henry Jensen in 1903. The home was built for William and Sophia Lea and paid for by Sophia’s father, Henry Muntz for $2,600. Henry ran a livery stable and was a real estate speculator and conveniently lived across the street at 624 Douglas. By 1934, Henry moved in with his daughter and son-in-law.

Sophia was born in 1872 in Illinois. Her parents, Henry and Katherine Muntz were both natives of Germany immigrating around 1853 to Cook County. Sophia married William in 1891 and had four children, Paul, Leonard, Catherine and Ruthford.

William was born in 1868 in England, immigrating to Elgin in 1870 with his parents, Benjamin and Frances. William was the manager of his father-in-law’s Harness and Saddlery Company. However, by 1940, he was the President of the Lea Company and Vice President of the Elgin Stove & Oven Company.

The Leas lived in the home until their deaths with William passing away in 1952 and Sophia following shortly thereafter in 1963. Both are buried at Bluff City Cemetery. Their daughter, Catherine, resided in the home until 1973 when she moved to a smaller home at 1702 Maple Lane.

ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

607 Douglas Avenue is considered a significant property to the historic and architectural integrity of the Spring-Douglas Historic District. It is designed in the Shingle Style which evolved out of the Queen Anne in the last decade of the 19th century. The Lea Home features a hip on gable roof, which projects toward the street to cover a full-width porch. Typical characteristics of the shingle style are the use of shingles as cladding. Other unique characteristics of this home include the diamond-shaped window panes set in a Palladian window at its front elevation, the monumental full width front porch with tapered columns and decorative capitals as well as the gooseneck railings found throughout the front porch. Uniquely, this home borrows many elements of those found at 412 Fulton and 416 Fulton Street, built one year prior, and was designed by the same architect and builder.

Sources: 2018 Heritage Plaque Application, Audio: TextAloud