950 W. HIGHLAND AVENUE
HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE
In 1914, lot 1 of McQueen’s Addition to Elgin had become home to the Prairie style home at 950 W. Highland Avenue. It was first owned by Fred A. Hubbard who hired George W. Maher, an architect famous through the Chicago suburbs, to design the home.
Sometimes referred to as "The Dr. Lawrence and Mrs. Eldora Hughes Home," 950 W. Highland Avenue was once home to a local ophthalmologist, Lawrence J. Hughes. Hughes was featured in a number of books in the 1910s to 1920s, noting his ophthalmology studies. He was also a speaker at the 1913 annual meeting of the Kane County Medical Society.
950 W. Highland is the only known George W. Maher house in Elgin. Maher was a contemporary of Frank Lloyd Wright and has a number of famed homes in Chicago and suburbs like Oak Park, Evanston, and Kenilworth. The importance of the Prairie style is particularly meaningful here in Elgin, as it is a style that has its origins in Chicago.
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
950 W. Highland is an excellent example of Prairie style architecture. Some of the significant features include the low-pitched, ceramic tile hipped roof, broad overhanging eaves, and grouped casement windows with an incorporated geometric design. Paramount to the character-defining features is the focus on the horizontal, a key component of the Prairie style and one that is a nod to the flat Midwestern landscape. It is likely that the design of the entryway purposefully meant to mimic the famed Seymour House, another George Maher design in Illinois.
TIMELINE OF PREVIOUS OWNERS
Sources: 1989 Heritage Plaque Application; Audio: TextAloud