Historic Highland Park Landmark Property Under $700K On Hazel Ave

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — Everything truly great needs a bit of work, and this historic landmark in east Highland Park proves it.

If you've been searching – for years, perhaps? – for the best way to get a treasured historic home within a few blocks of both Lake Michigan and downtown Highland Park without breaking the bank, look no further than this 1893 Queen Anne.

It's fair to expect that a such a home would need to be improved for today's buyer.

The property is ready to renovated and is being sold as is. The main house needs a new roof and a new air conditioning system, according to listing agent Marlene Rubenstein.

"Of any property I've every listed, I would say this is probably the greatest treasure," said the Highland Park-based realtor. "Because when you restore this house, it's unlike anything else. It's so authentic, it's just stunning."

The home has all its original details, including five interior wood-burning fireplaces. The living and dining room is anchored with a parlor and a screened sun room. The large original kitchen remains. There are four large bedrooms upstairs, as well as two consolidated smaller bedrooms currently featuring antique trains, according to the listing. The home has hardwood floors throughout the main level.

There's also a detached three-car garage, a two-bedroom, one-bathroom coach house side yard included as a bonus lot along with the listing. The Prairie School coach house has forced air.

The Jennie Alice ReQua house was named a national historic place in 1985 and locally recognized by the City of Highland Park in 1995 as part of the Hazel Avenue/Prospect (HAPA) Avenue District, according to the city. The district features the famed Wildwood compound, built as shared summer retreat for a quartet of University of Chicago professors and located to the south of Hazel Street.

The lot on which the home was built was sold to Ms. ReQua by Dana Sweetland, who was mayor of Highland Park from 1883 to 1887, according to nomination documents submitted to the National Register of Historic Places. A summary of the neighborhood described 259 Hazel Ave. as "the community's best Queen Anne house."

"With its wrap-around porch, cylindrical and polygonal towers and picturesque massing," the summary of surveys from the late 1970s said the "elaborate" home was "one of the few houses in Highland Park designed in this style that has not been substantially changed over the year."

Today, the home is owned by actor, voiceover artist and audio production entrepreneur JoBe Cerny, perhaps best known as the current voice of the Pilsbury doughboy.

He said he hasn't made any major modifications to the historic property.

"I didn't change anything he said," he said. "I just kept it as it was."

A walk-up third floor attic remains unfinished, which the downstairs is partially finished with a family room, bathroom, storage area and more.

The property's asking price was dropped to under $700,000 on Jan. 5.

"There's nothing but upside potential," said listing agent Rubenstein. "The land is worth more than what it's priced at."

An open house is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 14.

» More photos are available at the home's Realtor.com listing.

• Address: 259 Hazel Ave, Highland Park, Illinois
• Price: $699,000
• Square Feet: 5,245
• Bedrooms: 6
• Bathrooms: 3 Baths
• Built: 1893

This listing originally appeared on realtor.com. For more information and photos, click here.