Historic Irving House to be moved to permanent Evanston location

Stephanie Kelly, City Editor

A historic house designed by a noted architect will be moved from its current temporary location in a parking lot to a permanent Evanston location Thursday, according to the city.

The house, built in 1928 by John Van Bergen, is currently being kept in the parking lot of a future Whole Foods at Isabella Street and Green Bay Road. It will be moved Thursday at about 6 a.m. to its new location on Crawford Avenue.

The John Van Bergen Irving House was previously located in Wilmette, but after a builder bought and was about to demolish it, a statewide organization called Landmarks Illinois decided to move it instead.

“It’s an important, architecturally significant house that had never been officially landmarked to be protected,” Lisa DiChiera, the director of advocacy for Landmarks Illinois, told The Daily in October.

Originally, project coordinator Christopher Enck decided to move the house to Highland Park, Illinois, but when the route proved to be too expensive, Enck found a lot in Evanston, DiChiera said.

The Evanston lot is closer to the house’s original Wilmette location as well, she added.

The height of the house on wheels is 27 feet, according to Landmark Illinois’s website. The house was cut into three sections to move to the parking lot.

Green Bay Road, Central Street and Crawford Avenue will be impacted by the house’s relocation Thursday. It will be moved south on Green Bay Road to Central Street, west on Central Street to Crawford Avenue and continue west toward Glenview Road.

There will be a rolling closure of Central Street instead of a complete closing, according to the city.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter@StephanieKellyM