Downers Grove Homes Through The Years

Downers Grove is a community of residential neighborhoods consisting of homes that have been built over a period of some 180 years.  Currently, more than half of the single-family, detached homes in our Village are more than 50 years old.

The
York, Downers Grove and Lisle Township Assessors have assigned a Year Built number to each home in the Village. These Year Built numbers can now be used to plot the total number of single-family, detached homes which were located in the Village in each year over the years 1839 through 2021. TheHome through the ages blue line in the accompanying figure shows that the total number of homes in Village increased rather slowly during the 19th Century and the first half of the 20th Century. Then, starting in the 1950s, following the World War, the Village experienced a boom in home building. 

Now in the 21st Century, those homes built in the 19th and 20th Centuries are beginning to show their age.
The number of homes that were less than 50 years old each year in the past is shown by the green line above. It rose steadily until just before the year 2000 when it began to fall. The number of homes that were 50 years old or older in a given year is shown by the yellow line. This yellow line has risen steadily and, since the year 2000, has risen rather rapidly.  The red line that shows the number of 100-years-old homes may be following a similar trajectory - just displaced 50 years into the future!

Around the year 2015, the yellow line crossed the green line. That year - 2015 - should now be recognized as the time
when more than half of the single-family, detached homes in the Village of Downers Grove became at least 50 years old. For the foreseeable future, we must expect the number of our older homes, more than 50 years old, to exceed the number of our newer homes, less than 50 years old.
 
In 2011 our community adopted a Comprehensive Plan to help guide us. Village officials are now in the process of updating that Plan. Please click here to view the Village Council's October 22nd discussion of the Goals and Key Recommendations in the draft Plan update. Let's hope that the current Plan update can to help us understand the impact of the aging of single-family, detached homes on
the future of our community's residential neighborhoods.

   
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Environmental Sustainability Plan
Initial Conditions Report

July 16 2024 Council Workshop

A presentation by Jason Michnick, Downers Grove Environmental Coordinator, and Jay Womack, GZA Geoenvironmental Consulting, on the initial conditions report for the Environmental Sustainability Plan was included in the manager's report segment of the July 16 Village Council meeting. Please click here to view the slides for their presentation, and  click here to read Ken Lerner's summary report about this portion of the Village Council meeting. The 69-page initial conditions report itself is available on the village website.  You can click here to watch the video of the manager’s report segment of the Village Council meeting,  which begins at the thirty-three minute mark.

The July 29 Environmental Concerns Commission meeting agenda includes the initial conditions report and a summary of other recent environmental discussions by the
Environmental Concerns Commission and the Village Council. 


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Morton Arboretum Updated Chicagoland Tree Census 

In 2020, The Morton Arboretum partnered with Davey Resource Group Inc. and the Student Conservation Association to conduct its second tree census, remeasuring 1,576 plots in the city of Chicago and the seven surrounding counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will to gain a comparative snapshot of the regional forest and the benefits it provides.

The first census was in 2010. For the whole seven-county area, the number of trees and shrubs increased from 157,142,000 in 2010 to 172,297,000 in 2020, representing more than 194 species. In 2020, the regional forest tree and shrub canopy cover was assessed to be 23%, an increase from 21% in 2010. In DuPage County, the canopy cover increased from 26% in 2010 to 31% in 2020.

Although the number of trees and shrubs and the canopy coverage did increase, the study notes that a large percentage of the canopy is composed of species considered invasive, such as European buckthorn and tree of heaven. Detailed discussion of the tree census findings may be found at:  https://mortonarb.org/science/tree-census/

In addition, based on earlier data, the Chicago Region Trees Initiative (CRTI) has developed community-specific tree canopy summaries, including Downers Grove and many other Chicago area towns.

Tree Canopy
The above images and corresponding ones for other communities may be found at: http://chicagorti.org/CanopySummaries/

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Historic Preservation Activities

The Village's historic preservation program was revised in 2015, contributing to an increased interest in landmarking homes and other structures. Since then twenty-nine historic features have been granted local landmark status in Downers Grove –– nine structures in 2016, another nine in 2017, four more in 2018, four historic features in 2019 and one each year in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
4812 Northcott
                                                    Avenue, Hergbert E.
                                                    Ehning House
Landmark status was unanimously approved on August 20, 2024 for the Herbert E. Ehninger House, 4812 Northcott Avenue, at the request of Daniel Apel and Sharon Andersen. Please click here to learn about this English Country Revival style home constructed circa 1942.


5804 Carpenter, William S. Barnhart
                                                          HouseLandmark status was unanimously approved  for 5804 Carpenter Street, the William S. Barnhart House, on December 12, 2023 at the request of Mary Ann Badke. Please click here to learn about this Cape Cod Style home built in 1940.

Landmark status was approved unanimously for 5834 Middaugh Avenue,5834 Middaugh the Mochel-Goodman Home, on February 1, 2022 at the request of Nancy and Gordon Goodman. Please click here to learn about this Mid-Century Modern Ranch home built in 1954.
 

200 Shady LaneThe Village Council unanimously approved landmark status on February 16, 2021 for the Kotes-Kenny House, 200 Shady Lane at the request of Christie and John Kenny. Please click here to learn about this Mid-Century Modern home that was built circa 1960.

The Village Council unanimously approved landmark status on December 5329
                                                          Meadow Lane10, 2019 for the John and Doris Mochel House, 5329 Meadow Lane at the request of Louise and Peter Trucano. Please click here to learn about this Mid-Century Modern home that was built in 1964.

Robert J. Darnley HouseThe Village Council unanimously approved landmark status on July 9th for the Robert J. Darnley House, 4721 Highland Avenue, at the request of Ted and Andrea Anderson. Please click here to learn about this Craftsman Cottage home that was built circa 1904.
 

Main Street Cemetery
On April 16th landmark status for the Village owned Main Street Cemetery, 5158 Main Street, was unanimously approved by the Village Council following a request by the Downers Grove Historical Society.  Learn about this source of civic pride and identity that was established in 1856 by clicking here.

H. M. Patton HouseOn February 5, 2019 the Village Council approved landmark status for the H. M. Patton House, 5 Jacqueline Drive, at the request of Judith M. Erickson. Please click here to learn about this English Country Revival home that was built circa 1927.

Please click here to read about the presentation of the 2017 Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Advocacy to Friends Of The Edwards House.

Please click here for a complete listing of the 32 historic features that have been granted local landmark status in Downers Grove.

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Heritage Alliance Mission Statement

Pierce Downer's Heritage Alliance is committed to sound and sustainable environmental practices; protection and appreciation of our community's outstanding natural features, such as Lyman Woods and Belmont Prairie; and preservation of significant cultural traditions, including the rich architectural heritage of Downers Grove.

The Alliance works to promote appreciation, protection and enhancement of our community's natural and cultural heritage through education, advocacy, stewardship and community outreach.

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Last updated  12/6/2024
PDHA Logo
 

Village Council Meeting

  Tuesday, December 10, 2024
 Meeting Agenda
7:00 PM,
Betty Cheever Council Chambers
Downers Grove Civic Center
850 Curtiss Street
Downers Grove, IL 60515

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PDHA Meeting
Thursday, January 16, 2025
Virtual Meeting
For Access Information
Text to 
630 915 0956
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Click Below To Read
Yesterday's Headline Stories:

2023 Candidates Answered Questions
2021 Council Candidates Conversations
Planning for Walnut Park
Absent Friends
Covid-19 & the Great Outdoors
1846 Blodgett House
Betty Cheever & Wally Brown Honored


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Click here to read our
2024 Fall Newsletter


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Click here to read our
2024 Spring Newsletter


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Please consider a charitable donation
to support educational activities of
Pierce Downer's Heritage Alliance.

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1846 Blodgett House

The 1846 Blodgett House
is one of the Village's
oldest houses, reflecting
our rich cultural heritage.
PDHA supports preservation
of such valuable
historic resources
for future generations.

Click here to learn about the
1846 Blodgett House project.

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Pierce Downer's Heritage Alliance