CRYSTAL LAKE, IL — The Crystal Lake City Council will consider approval for a Crystal Lake home to be granted landmark status during an upcoming meeting.

On Thursday, the Historic Preservation Commission voted to recommend landmark designation for 215 Illinois Street in Crystal Lake. The home is owned by Roberta and Emily Reed, who purchased the home in April 1967.

The home is "representative of the Barrington model of the Sears Kit Homes, according to city documents." The home, which was constructed in 1929, stands as a "placeholder in Crystal Lake’s history and is an excellent representation of how popular kit homes were at the time."

"The street view of the home is very much in context on how it was originally built. It's in good shape and the uniqueness of the Sears Kit homes in Crystal Lake made it a good candidate," said Diana Kenney, a member of the Historic Preservation Commission. She said there's about two dozen Sears kit homes in Crystal Lake.

Sears kit houses became a popular option in Crystal Lake in the 1920s due to the proximity of the city to a train line since the kits could be shipped via train and then hauled to the properties, Kenney said. The home on Illinois Street was about three blocks from the train station.

The homes could be assembled on site and contained pre-cut labeled lumber, shingles, windows, interior trim, flooring, plumbing, and all screws and nails.

The house on Illinois Street still has its original cedar shake siding, according to city documents. Changes made to the property, include remodeling the bathroom and kitchen, squaring off some doorway arches, reconfiguring the back porch, removing wallpaper, adding a family room, a half bath, and larger master bedroom.

Currently, there are 15 property in Crystal Lake that have been granted landmark status. Kenney said the Illinois Street home, if approved at the Sept. 20 city council meeting, would be the first to receive landmark designation this year.

She said the historic preservation commission is working with two other property owners who may recommend their properties for landmark status by the end of the year but it's currently unclear if they will move forward with the application process.

The city's landmark program bestows legal protection to a property for the purpose of preserving its public character and history, and a landmarked property is recognized as a public asset that enriches the community of Crystal Lake by virtue of its architecture and/or the people and events associated with it, according to the city's website.

The Historic Preservation Commission helps to financially support local history by dedicating the majority of money earned from fund raising to financial assistance for landmarked properties, including a 50-50 matching grant of up to $500 biannually for qualifying projects.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.