Historic mid-century home in Elgin could be yours for free

The catch is, you have to arrange to have it relocated before it's scheduled to be demolished. Time is running out and it won't be cheap.

Photo by Tierra Mallorca on Unsplash

(CHICAGO) A recent Instagram post by Cheap Old Homes has generated over 74,000 likes for a 2,280 square foot mid-century modern home located in Kane County. The house was built in 1967 by local architect John Schmidtke as his personal home.

Located at 35W655 Tollgate Road in suburban Elgin, it was designed to fit into its natural surroundings rather than alter them.

The post states:

"You can have a free mid-century modern house if you can move it! 2,280 sq ft full of walnut doors and cherry cabinets. Must be moved by April 1st. The house will be a challenge to move, since it's wood frame on concrete block with a basement + about 1/3 of it on slab. Anyone interested with a viable plan to get it moved, contact modernelgin@gmail.com. Series inquiries only!"

Lost its landmark status

According to a Chicago Sun-Times article, the home was designated a landmark by Kane County in 1996 but lost the status when the Elgin City Council voted to annex the lot for industrial development.

The developers, High Street Logistics, have offered to give the house for free to anyone who can move it. But the deadline is fast approaching. The home is one of six houses scheduled to be razed for the new development.

The home was most recently used as a wedding venue. The previous owners had bought the house from the Schmidtke family in 2018.

Moving the house will be a challenge

Although the home is free, moving it will not be cheap. The house is very heavy since it's constructed of brick and metal. And nearby power lines will also get in the way.

The Chicago Tribune reports that relocating the house could end up costing around $500,000.

Can the landmark home be saved?

Landmarks Illinois and the Kane County Historic Preservation Commission are working to save the home from demolition.

According to the Sun-Times article, since the Instagram post, “at least one person is diligently trying to make it work," said Julia Thavong, preservation planner for the Kane County Development Department.

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