600 E Chicago St

This is a very prominent landmark house in Elgin, rich in detail, inside and out. It has been a favorite on the Elgin Historic House Tour three times over the years. As a gorgeous, spacious, Queen Anne Victorian home, this proud painted lady was the winner of the Chicagoland Painted Ladies award in 2018. The exterior has elaborate detail in the siding, with a handsome stone base, and sits tall on the corner of Chicago and Liberty. The exterior boasts a 3-story turret and 2 balconies as well as a covered wrap-around porch. An intimate, fenced backyard has a brick patio, a sheltered pergola for quiet evenings outside, and even a small Koi pond with a fountain. This Victorian home was built for a sense of spaciousness and for entertaining. When one enters the very grand foyer, there is a wonderfully detailed staircase to the left, with an incredible ten-foot stained glass window and an open balustrade on the second-floor landing with a ceiling rise of nearly 20 ft. All throughout the house is the original woodwork, oak hardwood floors, and more stained and leaded glass windows. Even the original lighting fixtures have been carefully restored for use. The ceiling height is 9.5 feet. The prominent turret is three stories tall, creating a unique space in the front parlor, the master bedroom, and the third floor living quarters. The third-floor turret has wonderful natural light pouring in from the 270 degrees of windows at the top of the house. The second floor boasts a master bedroom with an attached sitting room/office and two closets (one of which is walk-in!). Two other large bedrooms are on the second floor. The total square footage of this large house is approximately 3920, (the assessor's square footage of 3020 doesn't include the finished attic/third floor of approximately 900 sq.ft.) The half-bath on the first floor has a unique, original water closet. The kitchen has a new ceramic floor and has a lovely view of the walled garden at the back of the house. And like many old Victorians, this has a back staircase. The walk-up finished third-floor attic is set up with a large bedroom and one more separate bedroom. A new HVAC unit was installed in this space in 2023, providing comfortable temperatures all year round. A third room on this level is being used as a walk-in closet, however it could be a master bath as previous owners say the plumbing has been stubbed into the floor. The large basement has a bathroom with a shower, and a number of rooms for a workshop, storage or office. The garage has a second level, with storage space, that is accessible from a service door at the rear. Newer features include - a new gas service line in 2022; new cement work on porch and walkways in 2023, a water heater and kitchen counter in 2021; an exterior award-winning paint and wood restoration in 2018; new double-hung storm windows and screens in 2018, a new roof in 2016; a new 3-car driveway in 2015; newer electric panel and wiring (200 amp in basement, 100 amp on 3rd floor); kitchen floor and ceiling in 2023; As the cornerstone of Elgin's historic district, this house is easy walking distance to trains, the library, recreation centre and downtown shops and restaurants.