Fate of historic house with ties to Naperville’s earliest days depends on new owners: ‘The future is one big question mark’

A 156-year-old downtown property with ties to one of Naperville’s earliest families is up for sale.

Its owners say they want to find a buyer who will be committed to upholding the structure’s integrity, but local preservationists worry a private sale will open the door to possible alterations — or demolition.

The Willard Scott House was built in 1867, located at the northwest corner of Washington and Franklin streets. Through the decades, the brick building has cycled through generations, families, even uses.

About six months ago, a “for sale” sign went up on the front lawn, the asking price $1,025,000.

“There’s definitely been some interest,” co-owner Robert Heap said. “We’ve had some offers that didn’t go through, but there’s interest.”

Heap said he and three other owners are looking for a buyer who will maintain the property and won’t “tear it down (or) change it so you can’t recognize it afterward.”

Still, while owners’ intent is to conserve their Reconstruction Era property, the move to sell has flagged the attention of those who don’t want to see the city lose more of its historic buildings.

“The (sale) sign is kind of hard to miss,” said Jane Burke with Naperville Preservation Inc.

Formed in 2017, Naperville Preservation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to documenting and protecting places historically notable to Naperville. The Willard Scott House fits the bill.

“I think our group naturally wants to preserve this very important landmark,” Burke said.

Though constructed a century and a half ago, the house has origins that predate even Naperville itself.

Before the Hobsons and the Napers, there was the Scott family.

While Joseph Naper is credited with founding Naperville along the DuPage River in 1831, Willard and Caroline Scott arrived in the area a year before, making them the region’s first Euro-American homesteaders.

By 1838, Willard and Caroline were actively involved in Naper’s burgeoning settlement. That first year, Scott built a three-story hotel in what is downtown Naperville today. Eight years later, he started a general store called Willard Scott and Co. and followed that a few years later with a bank.

Scott died in 1892, but his name has lived on with his 101 N. Washington St. house.

Once known as the “red brick mansion,” the two-story house was designed in the Italianate-style, which was popular between the 1850s and the 1880s and is known for its symmetry, flat roofs and round-arched windows.

Willard lived in the house, built by a man named William Beidelman, until his death. While he and his wife had five children and several grandchildren, the property was sold to the Beidelman family in 1919 to keep it in familiar hands.

That’s how it stayed for more than five decades, until a law firm took over the space and converted it for office use.

From 1975 to 2016, the property served as the home to Fawell, James & Brooks, the private law practice of former state senator and U.S. Rep. Harris Fawell. Even after his firm relocated eight years ago, Fawell continued to retain part ownership in the house with his wife, Ruth.

Heap, Fawell’s son-in-law, purchased half the property with his wife and moved his own law practice — Kuhn, Heap & Monson — into the building. When Harris Fawell died in 2021, followed by Ruth Fawell in 2022, their half of the Scott house went to other heirs.

After the last change, Heap and the owners resolved it was time to sell.

“There was a transfer of ownership and, as a group, (we) came to the conclusion to put it on the market,” he said.

Asked if any alternatives to selling were considered — landmarking, for example — Heap said, “We looked at everything.”

As things stand right now, there are no protections that would prevent future owners from altering or tearing down the house. Its location is just outside of the Naperville Historic District, where regulations dictate standards for exterior home improvements. It is part of a federal historic district, but their rules is not nearly as restrictive, according to the Illinois Historic Preservation Office.

Preservation is possible were it to be made a city landmark, a process open to any Naperville property over 50 years old, but that requires the recommendation of the Naperville Historic Preservation Commission and the approval of the Naperville City Council.

There are only four historic landmarks in Naperville.

Heap said he and his fellow co-owners are keeping options open but acknowledges the house’s future will hinge on who it’s sold to. That also goes for whether Heap’s law practice stays on as tenants.

“We’re still looking into (different options), but it’s about what a potential buyer would rather have us do. … Everything is on the table,” he said.

Naperville Preservation members say they understand the path property owners are pursuing and hope the building ends up going to the right successor.

“The owners have kept great care of the house and are really proud of it,” said Bill Simon, Naperville Preservation president. “We understand the situation that the family is in, with them feeling like they need to sell. But we are very concerned that it may be torn down. … We think that it’s a house that needs to have a place in Naperville.”

The Willard Scott House “has many of the criteria that would make it an excellent landmark for Naperville” but its owners would need to bring that idea to fruition. Nonowners are allowed to put up a building for landmarking but they need preauthorization from elected officials before the review process can begin.

“We would support (landmarking) if the owners were interested. We’re glad to help. But we don’t want to force landmarking on anyone,” Simon said.

Outside of working with property owners, Simon said Naperville Preservation is hopeful the city might “get involved to help preserve it in some way.”

That’s not likely, city spokeswoman Linda LaCloche said.

“It’s a private sale,” she said. “If someone submits an application for a local landmark, that kicks in the city. Or someone submitted a building permit, that would kick in the building department. Everything with the city has to be initiated.”

For now, Simon said, “I think the future is one big question mark.”

tkenny@chicagotribune.com