Old houses are sometimes said to have souls and the Garetto family felt just that when they first saw the William and Florence Klein house in Blue Island.
Peter and Natalie Garetto bought the 1927 house at 12926 Greenwood Ave. a year ago and expect to complete renovations and move in with their young daughter, Penelope, in a few months.
The Tudor revival was just one of a handful of stately homes, plus the City Hall building and the Albee House (home to the Blue Island Historical Society), on Blue Island’s 36th Annual House Walk Saturday.
Visitors marveled at the original woodwork, large bay window in the living room, sun room and original fireplace and winding staircase to the second floor.
Natalie Garetto liked the lattice windows and original glass doorknobs when she first saw the house, and has been scouring ETSY and vintage sales for light fixtures that fit the home.
“I love old houses,” she said. “It really spoke to me.
“Just being surrounded by old architecture … made me feel like home,” said Natalie Garetto, a board certified behavior analyst, who sees children with autism.
She also said they have the best neighbors and love the sense of community, a comment echoed by several attendees who live in Blue Island.
She hopes to use one room as a library, because they love books, and a room on the second floor, adjacent to what will be their bedroom, as a walk-in closet because they love clothes and shoes. There’s a cozy room for Penelope nearby. They plan to construct a balcony on the second floor roof.
“It was the best house for us,” said Peter Garetto.
His dad, Larry Garetto, who lives in Tinley Park but lived in Blue Island for years, was in on the purchase from the Marchbanks family, the previous owners, and renovations, too. He owns Beggars Pizza, including one in Blue Island, the Lyric Theatre Blue Island and a marijuana dispensary. He helped coordinate renovations on their home as well as the businesses, with the help of his son, who works for him.
“My sister lives next door and she wanted to pick her neighbors,” he joked. On the other side of her is her sister-in-law.
“I think it was one of the nicest houses in town,” said Larry Garetto.
Like each of the homes on the tour, this one is steeped in history.
Architect William T. Braun designed the home that, like the Klenk home also on the tour, was “built for members of a pioneering and prominent local family,” noted Kevin Brown, executive director of the Blue Island Historical Society. ]
Family members William and brother John built the Klein Grain Elevator on Vermont Street. There was a church on the site until the Kleins purchased it in 1921.
Both William Klein and wife, Florence Vandenberg, were second generation Blue Island residents, who ended up spending their entire lives there.
“It’s significant architecturally and a beautiful home,” said Brown. “It’s got a great history as far as the people who built it and owned it and is also a house on a prominent stretch of Greenwood Avenue, the main drag of the historic district.”
The Paul and Caryl Klenk house, 12914 Elm St., is also rich in family history. Joshua and Sarah Roll bought the home from his grandparents a dozen years ago. Joshua grew up a block away.
“It was just unique,” he said. “When my grandparents could no longer care for it, we thought, we love the house, we love the neighbors … let’s keep it in the family.”
Joshua Roll said the house was structurally sound but they updated it with a new kitchen, carpet and bathroom. They also built a small sauna in the back.
“A lot is still original,” he said.
Their home was built in 1926 and was designed by the architectural firm Doerr, Lindquist and Doerr, which also designed City Hall, a home on Prairie Street and Paul Revere School. The home has been in the Roll family since the 1940s.
Joshua Roll is also the 7th Ward alderman and Sarah is on the High School District 218 Board.
Other homes on the tour were the Charles & Hulda Lobaugh house at 2641 Walnut St., the William and Fredericka Witte House at 2547 Walnut St. and the William and Margaret Porter House, 12804 Greenwood Ave.
Mayor Fred Bilotto, also on the tour representing City Hall, said the walk was a good thing.
“You get the whole town out walking through the neighborhoods, see a lot of people and a lot of people from outside the community come in,” said Bilotto, a lifelong resident. “Blue Island is as old as Chicago and debatably a couple of years older.”
Janice Neumann is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
