“A portion of Edgewater has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural significance, making homeowners eligible for certain incentives if they restore their home.
“Edgewater Glen, bounded by Granville Avenue, Clark Street, Norwood Avenue and Broadway, joins three other areas in Edgewater as a neighborhood historic district, according to the area’s block club and the 48th Ward Office.
“The architectural significance of the single-family homes and multi-unit buildings in Edgewater Glen made it eligible for the designation, said Edgewater Glen Association member Justin Colombik, who helped spearhead the work to get the district on the national list.
“Many of the buildings and homes in Edgewater Glen were built between the 1890s and 1920s and are examples of American Foursquare in these styles: Prairie Style, Dutch Colonial, Queen Anne, Craftsman, Chicago Bungalow and more, Colombik said.
“Colombik, who moved into a single-family home in Edgewater Glen with his husband in 2023, approached the block club about pursuing a historic designation in December 2023, he said. He was surprised to learn it didn’t already have one, considering the Lakewood-Balmoral historic district is just south of Edgewater Glen and was largely built by the same developers around the same time, he said.
“‘We’ve always been interested in historic preservation and preservation of buildings in Chicago, and so Edgewater is a great area to be part of because we have a historical society, and there’s a lot of that like-mindedness here,’ Colombik said.
“The designation process involved documenting approximately 400 buildings in the area, gathering information on the buildings’ history, getting approval from the Commission on Chicago Landmarks and going to Springfield to speak in front of the Illinois National Register Advisory Council, Colombik said.”
“One of the biggest benefits to homeowners who live in the Edgewater Glen historic district is that they are now eligible for a federal income tax incentive for restoring rented properties or a property tax assessment freeze incentive for restoring single-family, owner-occupied residences, according to the state.
“However, owners of historic buildings in the area aren’t required to get approval or permission to change their home if using private or city money, and they also are not required to restore their properties.” (Savedra, Block Club Chicago, 1/28/25)
Additionally, National Register of Historic Places provides no protection against demolition. Only a Chicago Landmark Designation or Chicago Landmark District Designation provides protection against demolition.
Preservation Chicago applauds the efforts and success of Justin Colombik and Edgewater Glen Association in the creation of the Edgewater Glen National Register District. This is an important first step in recognizing the historic significant of this district. We encourage them to continue the process to continue the process to seek Chicago Landmark District Designation which provides protection against demolition.