“Known as the Wacker House, the home has been a hallmark of the city’s North Side for more than 150 years, dating back to the Great Chicago Fire. The property has historical protections both locally and nationally, which — on paper — should mean that projects are well-vetted and, if approved, conducted with its longstanding tenure in mind.

”Unauthorized work, however, is overrunning the structure, according to neighbors and city records. Since 2023, the contested construction has spurred more than two dozen requests for service to various city departments, three stop work orders and an inspection by federal officials.

”For the Cases, who live next door, the changes go beyond a fight for preservation. The work has encroached across property lines and into their everyday lives.

”Around the outset of construction nearly three years ago, the couple’s then 1-year-old daughter suffered from lead poisoning, according to medical records reviewed by the Tribune. The Cases allege their daughter was exposed to the notoriously toxic metal after their neighbor improperly stripped layers of lead paint from his historic property.

”The years since have been a series of pleas to anyone with authority to get the construction to stop. But Elizabeth and Hunter say they’ve been met with repeated indifference and deflection.

”Lately, local preservationists, too, have tried their hand at imploring action. The Old Town Triangle Association — an advocacy group for the neighborhood — has been raising a more public fight over the construction this summer. Construction persists, neighbors say.

”The owner, listed as Michael Gancarz in Cook County property records, did not return multiple requests for comment. Cook County circuit court records show he’s been in foreclosure since April 2025.

”The Cases have lived in Old Town since 2021. They chose the neighborhood, and their home in it, for the character and charm.

“‘It pulled on our heartstrings,’ Elizabeth said, speaking with the Tribune alongside Hunter in a recent interview.”

There were the stained glass windows that framed their entryway, the high ceilings with original light fixtures. And then there was the history.

”The area was settled back in the 1850s by German immigrants. Among those early proprietors was Frederick Wacker, a German-born beer baron who was one of Chicago’s most prominent early brewers. For Wacker and his family, home was 1838 North Lincoln Park West.

”The brick and frame, Swiss-chalet style house that survives at that same lot today stands at some 154 years old. It’s not quite the original Wacker House — that perished in the Great Fire — but the Wackers were quick to rebuild. The Wacker House was later owned by Wacker’s son Charles, who went on to become one of the most influential pioneers of modern Chicago (think Wacker Drive).

”The Wacker properties anchor what was eventually named the Old Town Triangle District, one of the oldest landmarked areas in the city. The district is also listed on the National Register of History Places.

”’This is history,’ Diane Gonzalez, of the Old Town Triangle Association, said. ‘You lose them, then that’s it.’

”Under Chicago’s landmark ordinance, all building permit applications for protected properties must generally go through the Commission on Chicago Landmarks before work can move forward. Projects are reviewed, per the ordinance, to ensure work will not adversely affect any ‘significant historical or architectural feature’ of landmarked buildings.

”Since 2012, the Department of Buildings has issued two building permits for 1838 North Lincoln Park West, one in June 2022 and a second in October 2023. They were both issued for largely similar work: paint removal from brick, removal of aluminum siding and restoring of original wood siding and replacement of water damaged wood on the porch.

“But since June 2023 to date, city data shows that 25 requests for service have been made to various departments alleging a host of complaints and violations at the Wacker House. A bulk of those calls have gone to the Department of Buildings, asserting paint stripping, work encroaching on neighboring properties, alterations to a landmark building and jobsite safety issues, among other complaints.

”Lately, it’s been the Old Town Triangle Association that has renewed attention on the construction. In July, the association sent a newsletter to members urging neighbors to report any work they see.

”’We consider (the Wacker House) one of the most important buildings in the Triangle,’ the association wrote. ‘The rich heritage of this iconic Triangle landmark is now threatened.’

”Behind the scenes, the association also sent a letter to Commissioner Hopkins, copying Knudsen and the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, requesting ‘enforcement of all relevant historic, landmark, and statutory regulations.’

”In a statement to the Tribune, the association said while it ‘respects homeowners’ rights to make changes to their property, those changes must comply with the City of Chicago’s Landmark Ordinance requirements governing the Old Town Triangle District.’

”Knudsen said he understands the community’s frustrations.

”’I wish, in a situation like this, that I could just go in there and enforce some things, right?’ he said. But aldermanic offices, he went on, don’t have any enforcement arm.” (Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 9/2/26)

Preservation Chicago stands with the Old Town Triangle Association in calling for stronger enforcement at the Wacker House. Built in 1874 in the immediate aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire, it is a rare survivor in a rare style, and its association with Charles Wacker gives it civic significance beyond its architecture.

Preservation Chicago urges the Department of Buildings and the Commission on Chicago Landmarks to take action to resolve the unpermitted work. The City of Chicago should enforce the rules already on the books, so that the owner of the Wacker House brings the work into compliance, repairs what has been damaged, and becomes a good steward of a building that belongs to the story of Old Town and of Chicago. A well-cared-for Wacker House would be a benefit to its owner, to the neighbors on Lincoln Park West, and all Chicagoans.

Read the full story at the Chicago Tribune and Block Club Chicago

• Lead exposure, lost history and a runaround: How changes to the Wacker House go beyond a preservation fight, Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 9/2/26
• Fight Over Historic Wacker House Goes Public As Preservationists Call For City Action; The Old Town Triangle Association is urging neighbors to report work at the Wacker House, saying years of alterations threaten one of the neighborhood’s most significant landmark homes, Patrick Filbin, Block Club Chicago, 7/24/26
• Old Town Triangle Association