626 ORANGE STREET
HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE
Following WWI, the United States entered a period of prosperity during which construction of family homes saw a dramatic increase. In Elgin, the newspapers published monthly lists of building permits issued, for residents to get a sense of the housing boom they were witnessing. In Kimball’s 4th Addition, lots began selling, and many built homes upon them. In 1927, one such was bought by Michum Musikich who began to construct a home.
Musikich lived in the home with his wife, Jennie, from 1927 until he passed away in 1967 and was a mechanic in the Supply Company for the 39th Infantry during World War I. After Jennie passed away, the Musikich family continued ownership of the home.
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
626 Orange Street is an excellent example of a Bungalow that also happens to be a Sears catalog home in “The Sunlight” style. Sears homes were exceedingly popular in the early decades of the 20th century as materials were cheaper to prefabricate as well as ship longer distances.
Features common of a Bungalow seen here include its height of one and one-half stories, the front gabled roof with clipped gable, a full-width front porch, original wood siding on the exterior and multi-paned over one wooden windows. Typifying of the Craftsman style, however, include the exposed rafter ends seen on the home and porch.
TIMELINE OF PREVIOUS OWNERS
Sources: 1997 Heritage Plaque Application; Audio: TextAloud