Interviews
Interview with Jayne Bernhard (Joliet Historic Preservation Commission) on historic homes in Joliet’s Cathedral Area.
- What era were most of the homes within the Cathedral Area built?
- I’d say between 1880 and 1940. Older homes are located on the east side of Raynor.
- What criteria is there for a home to be considered historic?
- In the broad sense, the National Park Service uses 50 years old as an age standard to consider a house or structure as historic. If you are referring to the 130 designated historic properties, the structure should be at least 50 years old and meet at least one of the seven criteria outlined in the City’s Historic Preservation Ordinance.
- What legally might need to be done to work on a historic home?
- In general, most work on the exterior or interior of any home, regardless of its age or designation, requires a City Building Permit. If the house is one of the City’s 130 designated historic properties, then the property owner needs to obtain permission from the City’s Historic Preservation Commission.
- Are there certain aspects of the homes that should not be altered?
- Character-defining features should not be altered. Character-defining features can include a lot of things such as massing, roof shapes, stylistic features, doors, window placement, etc.