St. Charles grant funding to help rehabilitate three local historic properties

The St. Charles City Council unanimously approved façade improvement grants totally $36,588 to three local historic buildings at its meeting Aug. 21.

According to a news release from the Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley, grant recipients included Douglas Kimber for $16,360 for the 1896 Osgood Building at 11 E. Main St., Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley for $15,228 for the 1850 William Beith House at 8 Indiana St. and Susan Olson for $5,000 for her 1874 private residence at 411 Prairie St. Grant funding cannot exceed more than half of the project’s cost.

The city of St. Charles’ façade improvement grants are “intended to promote reinvestment and restoration of commercial and residential buildings in the downtown area with a focus on supporting historic preservation practices,” according to the grant application on the city’s website, according to the release.

Commercial, multifamily residential buildings and private residences that are local landmarks or in the historic districts in downtown St. Charles are eligible for grants to rehabilitate façades that face the public right of way. The city has budgeted $40,000 a year for grants since 2008.

“Façade improvement grants, such as those offered by St. Charles, are vital investments in a community’s heritage,” Al Watts, community engagement director for Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley, said in the release. “These grants allow property owners to use historically appropriate materials, which can sometimes be more expensive than modern materials, and rehabilitate their properties sooner than they otherwise could. The entire community will benefit from the improvements to the three very visible buildings receiving these grants.”

Built in 1896, the Osgood Building has needed updating for some time, building owner Kimber said in the release.

“We’re really looking forward to bringing life back into this significant building in the heart of downtown St. Charles,” Kimber said.

According to the grant application, the building, which hosts Smitty’s on the Corner and Fox.Build Makerspace, will undergo masonry repairs, wood trim replacement and receive a fresh coat of paint.

The 1850 William Beith House at 8 Indiana St., one of 10 St. Charles buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, will be replacing rotting trim along the roof and adding gutters to protect the new trim and historic limestone walls.

“The building’s lack of gutters has accelerated natural weathering of materials” on the home, said Kelsey Shipton, executive director of Preservation Partners. “We’re excited that this grant will help us add gutters to redirect the water away from the house and protect this historic landmark.”

Owned by Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley, the Beith House serves as their office, out of which they operate four historic sites for the Forest Preserve District of Kane County and educate about historic preservation.

Olson’s unique wood spiral rope-patterned columns will be getting replaced on her 1874 home at 411 Prairie St. with assistance from the St. Charles façade improvement grant. The architectural feature of her columns was one of the reasons the home was approved as a local historic landmark in 2017.

“This project is very special to me,” Olson said in the release. “I feel like I’m making history by re-creating these columns to look like they were originally.”