“A 105-year-old home in Jefferson Park where the first Mass for Saint Constance Parish was held [has been] demolished, although the Northwest Chicago Historical Society [was] hoping that the structure [could] be preserved due to its historical and architectural significance.
“An application to demolish the Wachowski-Ray House at 5374 W. Lawrence Ave. [was] pending with the city Department of Buildings. Its architect, J.F. Knudsen, designed a wide variety of homes and small commercial buildings in the city, according to the historical society.
“The house [was] not listed on the Chicago Historic Resources Survey, but earlier this year city planning officials identified the home as a candidate for a potential residential landmark district, which would include several prominent Jefferson Park homes, historical society researcher Frank Suerth said.
“According to county records, the property was sold on Aug. 7 to PFH Homes Inc., which could not be reached for comment. The property’s B3-2 zoning would allow for a mixed-use building with up to nine residential units to be built on the 9,500-square-foot parcel, but there are reports that a zoning relief may be sought for the site’s redevelopment.” (Nadig, 9/5/19)