Historic Buildings
Downers Grove includes a variety of unique buildings and architectureal styles.
Three unique programs recognize these building and sites:
- Historic Home Program - This honorary program, managed jointly by the Downers Grove Historical Society and the Downers Grove Museum, features homeowner-nominated properties.
- Historic Landmarks Program - This Village of Downers Grove program is managed by the Historic Preservation and Design Review Board.
- Historical Sites Program - Each year since 1997, the Downers Grove Historical Society recognizes a significant building or site which has been important to the history of our village.
In addition to these programs the society has researched other unique village homes and buildings:
- American Foursquares - The American Foursquare is a post-Victorian house type that emerged in the early 1900s, and was an architectural reaction against the ornateness and complexity found in Victorian homes.
- Sear Catalog Homes - Sears Catalog Homes were kit houses sold primarily through mail order by Sears, Roebuck and Company, an American retailer.
- Downtown Buildings - Downtown Downers Grove features a number of interesting buildings, each with their own story and history.
