Dupage Policy Journal

The Village Board of Glen Ellyn discussed the preservation of a historic home during its meeting on Jan. 23 after hearing comments from the head of the village's historic preservation committee.

Pen French, chairman of the Historical Preservation Commission, addressed the village board at its Jan. 23 meeting, where he requested the board designate a historic home as a village landmark. In so doing, the home would be classified as a historical monument, which will aid in preserving and maintaining its historical character. The house is located at 335 North Main street, which French said is a prominent spot near the Main and Hill intersection. Owners Justin and Suzanne Cafferty nominated their home to the commission, which unanimously approved it to send it to the village board.

Built in 1925, the house is a Colonial revival-style home which features a Ludowici Spanish tile roof. Ludowici Roof Tile is a famous manufacturer of terra cotta roofing tiles, he said.

"The Ludowici company can trace its roots back 400 years to Rome, Italy. So not a lot of roofers can have that kind of history, right?" French said. "Using old world craftsmanship techniques, and just for perspective, the company had its beginnings only 50 years after Michelangelo died. So that's how far back this company goes in terms of its architectural prowess, if you will. A descendant of the original family, Karl Ludowici, opened up a manufacturing facility in Chicago in 1893. So if you start doing the math, it's interesting."

The home was identified in the 2014 architectural survey as being architecturally and historically significant, and the Caffertys have won the Historical Preservation Commission’s Restoration of the Year award twice, including in 2020 for restoring the 13 original stained glass windows and replacing 41 windows in the exact style and size. They won it again in 2021 for the complete restoration of the home’s original roof after it sustained hail damage in 2019, French told the board.

"Their house was built in 1925, and the owners of that probably thought, well, here's a great company right here in Chicago, so why don't we use their tiles, maybe not even knowing how far back it really goes," he told the board of the roof. "They actually now are in Lexington, New Lexington, Ohio. So in addition to private residences, Ludowici tiles have been used for university and government buildings and hotels all over the world, including the Plaza Hotel in New York and the Broadmoor More Hotel. If any of you have been there in Colorado Springs, as you can imagine, the Ludowici tiles grace a number of cathedrals, basilicas and other churches throughout Europe and the world. They have a life expectancy, the roofs of over 100 years and carry a 75-year warranty."

Justin Cafferty thanked the commission and the board for it's support over the past few years, as well as for the landmark designation and the restoration awards, for which he jokingly promised not to apply for anytime soon. Cafferty added that he and his wife were excited to finish the restoration of the house but added that with the roof and the windows having been done, the home, which is about to turn 100, should last for another century.

"We're just one of a series of people who have been able to call it our home," he told the board. "So whoever purchases it after us has no excuse."