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Historic Preservation Commission

Preserving the History of Maywood

The Commission’s mission is to identify, preserve and protect Maywood’s historic resources by creating awareness of its heritage and values. We ensure this by doing the following

  1. Safeguarding the Village’s history, architectural & cultural heritage
  2. Help stabilize & improve property values and the economy in the Village
  3. Increase public interest and civic pride in Maywood’s history
  4. Advocate the benefits that are derived from historic preservation
  5. Preserve the historical, architectural and cultural character of Maywood

Commission Members

Our Commission consists of seven members who are appointed by the Mayor with the consent of the Village Trustees and have a demonstrated special interest, experience or education in history, architecture or the preservation of historic resources.

The Maywood Historical Preservation Commission is made up of the following members:

The Commission meets on the first Thursday of the month at 7:00pm at the Village Council Chambers located at 125 S. 5th Ave, 2nd Floor. The public is invited to attend.

Historic Preservation
View the Historic Homes of Maywood

Maywood Historic Homes and Buildings 
View Brochure

We work with property owners, city departments, sister agencies and the general public to promote the preservation of Maywood’s historic and architectural resources.

Through the Historic Preservation Commission, all seventeen National Register of Historic Place properties have been designated local Landmarks, providing additional protections to preserve their contribution to the community. Part of the Commission’s responsibility is to help owners of these and potentially new listings make the proper repairs and renovations to stay consistent with national guidelines and local ordinances. If you have any questions about the nomination process or any historic preservation issues please feel free to contact the Commissioners. We look forward to working with all  Maywood residents to preserve our Village.

Annual Historic Homes House Walk
An annual event usually held in mid-summer features several landmark homes from the late 19th and early 20th century. 

Maywood Architectural Styles
Maywood has a diversity of architecture and building forms that is beyond parallel for communities within the Chicago metropolitan region. Common architectural styles found with Maywood include Italianate, Queen Anne, Prairie, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, French Eclectic, Craftsman, Art Modern and Mid-Century Modern. The vast majority of properties within Maywood have a defined architectural style. Some of these homes were designed by architects such as John Van Bergen, William Drummond, Spencer and Powers, E.E. Roberts, Talmadge and Watson, William Seyfarth and other contemporaries over more than a century. The eclecticism in many Maywood homes is a testament to the skill of the many accomplished architects who received commissions in Maywood throughout the decades.

Information on Historic Landmarking
Maywood Landmarks Pictures

A historic landmark is a building or site considered to be historically and/or architecturally significant and worthy of preservation. In Maywood, a landmark may be deemed historically or architecturally significant by the Historic Preservation Ordinance, in which case it has local historic landmark status, or by the federal government, when listed on the National Register for Historic Places. These two designations are distinct and offer different benefits and forms of protection. In some cases, groups of properties that share common characteristics or a common history may also be nominated as historic districts.

Why seek Landmark status?
A building or site determined to have landmark status, whether locally, or federally, contributes to the value of its community and raises awareness of its cultural history. Once a building or site has been landmarked, the Maywood Historic Preservation Commission must review requests for its alteration or demolition, and grant a Certificate of Appropriateness before any major changes to the property that require a building permit are made. Owners of locally landmarked properties get several benefits: they can apply for a property tax freeze, as well as income tax credits for historically appropriate renovations. A listing on the National Register of Historic Places, on the other hand, is an honorary distinction that does not necessarily protect a historic building from alteration or demolition by private owners or local government, but does guarantee a review of any federal project, such as the construction of a highway, which may affect it. Financial incentives are also available for the owners of buildings listed on the National Register.

Historic significance in Maywood is determined on the basis of one or more of the following criteria:

  • Architectural, cultural, economic, historic or social significance
  • Site of historic event
  • Identification with significant person
  • Embodiment of significant architectural/engineering type
  • Identification with notable architect or builder
  • Design elements or materials making building innovative, rare or unique
  • Representation of theme, style, or period
If you are interested in nominating a property to be designated as a Maywood Historic Landmark, please download the nomination form below.

Click here for Nomination Guidelines
Click here for Nomination Form
Word Click here for Nomination Form

How to Research the History of Your Home

 Basic Steps on How to Research the History of Your Home for Potential Landmarking

Below are the basic steps to research your property for potential landmarking. It is essential to gather as much information as possible so that you can complete the nomination form. If you get stuck or have any question, contact one of the HPC Commissioners and we will be glad to help.

  1. You will need your PIN (Property Index Number). You can find this on your tax bill or on the County Assessor’s Website using your property address
  2. Go to the Cook County Recorder of Deeds and obtain your property’s abstract.
    1. This is a document that records all deeds or legal transactions associated with your property. It will give you the scoop on all your home’s previous owners.
    2. Purchase a copy of this to include in your nomination packet ($11)
    3. There are multiple properties listed on this abstract. Make sure to keep track of parcel number that is associated with your home. This is located under the “description” tab.
    4. In the same building across the hall is where they keep the micro fiche of all property transactions. Locate the first Deed under the “inst” row that matches your parcel number and have them pull that micro fiche. You can take that down the hall and have them print it. This will have the original owners name, how much they paid for it etc. This will be included in your nomination packet.
  3. Now that you know who the first owners were the research part of your endeavor begins. Historic significance in Maywood is determined on the basis of one or more of the following criteria:
    1. Architectural, cultural, economic, historic or social significance
    2. Site of historic event
    3. Identification with significant person
    4. Embodiment of significant architectural/engineering type
    5. Design elements or materials making building innovative, rare or unique
    6. Representation of theme, style or period
  4. Start with Google/Yahoo/Bing searches to see what you can find - go deeper into the search pages because this info is older and you might have to dig deep.
    1. Use various forms of search topics. Sometimes just the wording of your search or adding an extra word will bring up new information. Build off of the information you find. You may find new names that can lead you to more info down the road.
    2. If you are going for architectural landmarking you would search on the style of your house (Victorian, Prairie Style, Four-Square, Bungalow etc). Find the information that best matches the style of your home and build from there.
  5. Use your public resources (Maywood Library, Maywood Historical Society, Chicago History Museum, Harold Washington Library).
    1. Try locating old photos or advertisements of your home. Check out “Facts About Maywood - Its Advantages as a Residence Location with Views & Plan of Modern Homes”.
  6. Make copies of anything on your house that is pertinent (photos, new articles, death notices etc)- they will be included in your nomination packet.
  7. Keep track of where you found all your information as it needs to be included in your bibliography section on the nomination form.
  8. Your legal description is located on the survey of your home. You will need to include that on the nomination form. Also include a copy of your survey in with your nomination packet.
  9. Take multiple photos of your house of the exterior and any original detail on the inside that are of significance (Built-in’s, stain glass, fireplaces etc) and include this in your packet also.
  10. Once everything is all together and you feel you have a compelling story that you are ready to share take a copy of your packet to the Village Office (40 Madison St) and deliver it to Joshua Koonce. He will then get copies of that to the Commissioners and we will then schedule an appt. at our next meeting (first Thursday of the month) for you to come in for review.

Historic Landmark Resources:

Historic Preservation Websites



Research Documents
 Widows Home Adaptive Reuse Study
 
Historic Landmark Nomination Forms

 Click here for Nomination Guidelines
 Click here for Nomination Form
Word Click here for Nomination Form

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