6626 N. Glenwood Avenue

From HistoryWiki

6626 N. Glenwood Avenue, Burnette/DeMarco House

Circa: 1882

Original Owner:

Present (2011) Owner: Rusty Burnette and Bill DeMarco

This house was featured in the 2011 Annual House Tour

Homeowners Rusty Burnette and Bill DeMarco are pleased to have a second chance to feature their circa 1882 Queen Anne/Victorian home on the Society’s house tour this year, since they reluctantly had to miss participating in our 2002 house tour. Having purchased the house in late 2001, they were undergoing their initial renovations and moving in during the summer and fall of 2002. They bought the house from a family who had owned it since 1926. In fact, the family very discreetly marketed the property as being for sale because they wanted the new owners to keep the house and restore it, rather than sell it to a developer interested in tearing it down. They found the ideal buyers in Burnette and DeMarco.

In the near decade since they acquired the home, Burnette and DeMarco have undertaken several renovations. Their inspiration has been restoration rather than mere renovation. Most of the interior of the home had not been significantly upgraded since the 1920s, except the kitchen, which had been renovated in the 1960s. All of the work on the house has been guided by their commitment to honor the original structure of the house and renew its use into the 21st Century.

In their renovations, they were able to rescue some of the architectural details and light fixtures from a home being torn down nearby on Estes Avenue. Actually, “rescue” has been a theme in their work and life in the house, which they share with their two rescue poodles, Penny and Schroeder.

Besides the extensive restoration to the interior of the house, they have done considerable work in the back yard. The yard had been paved with asphalt, which they removed and replaced with winding brick walkways and a garden.

The most recent major renovation was a two story addition in 2008. One interesting detail they preserved is the original brick of the exterior of the home incorporated into the doorway of the master bedroom addition.

The home is classified as “orange” in the Chicago Historic Resources Survey and is nominated to the National Register of Historic Places through Loyola University’s Public History program.

Chicago Landmarks Historic Resources Survey

Architect:

Historic Name:

Community: Rogers Park (01)

Address: 6626 N. Glenwood Avenue

Constructed: Started in

Classification: Building

Style: Queen Anne

Type: Single-Family Residence

Color Code: Orange

Landmark? N

National Register? N

Major Tenant:

Building Details: Eastlake/Stick

Pin: 1132312016