1921 W. Lunt Avenue

From HistoryWiki

1921 W. Lunt Avenue, the Wojcicki House.

Circa: 1924

Original Owner: van Heck Family

Fifth and Present Owner: Greg Wojcicki and Margaret Wojcicki

This house was included in the 2005 Annual Fall House Tour.

Greg and Margaret Wojcicki were looking for a "bungalow in need of rescue" and found one at 1921 W. Lunt Avenue. In September 2003, they became the owners of a bungalow with overgrown yard and a neglected interior. While they are the fifth owners of this home, one of the few bungalows east of Ridge Boulevard they are only the second family to use the house as their primary residence since the original owners, the van Heck Family. (The family's son Ray was the long-time owner of the Ace Hardware store on Clark Street.)

The Wojcickis launched and extensive rehab as soon as they moved in. The interior was completely repainted. New plumbing and electric were installed. Old bathtub fixtures were replaced with antique reproductions in the guest bath, and Margaret personally designed the walk-in shower in the master bathroom. The kitchen was remodeled with a vintage feel.

The living room has the classic Chicago Bungalow fireplace flanked by built-in bookcases. Above the bookcases are stained glass windows matching one in the foyer. The unique dining room light fixture was salvaged from another Chicago bungalow by Greg in 1990.

On the outside, the clay tile roof was completely restored and all gutters replaced with copper gutters. The entire exterior was tuckpointed and painted. The front door was stripped to bare wood, revarnished, and then outfitted with all new brass hardware and locks.

The original back porch was replaced, and a chain link fence surrounding the rear of the house was replaced with a cedar privacy fence. Both front and back yards and flowerbeds were re-landscaped by Margaret. While laying the back patio, she discovered glass marbles lost, perhaps, by the van Heck children decades ago.