Plans to preserve home have changed but hold to vision of restoring classic charm
Preserving a cherished Frank Lloyd Wright-designed dwelling while updating it for modern living is no simple task, at least if the years-long restoration effort for the Bagley House is any indication.
At the Hinsdale Historic Preservation Commission meeting March 4, commissioners revisited the plan to save the 1894-built Dutch Colonial at 121 S. County Line Road, Hinsdale’s only Wright home. Owners Lukas Ruecker and Safina Uberoi, who bought the property in 2021 to save it from demolition, stood before the commission in October of 2024 and received project support in the form of alternative zoning regulations, a building permit fee waiver and expedited processing under the village’s preservation incentives. Village trustees were also advised to approve matching grant funding and tax rebates.
Subsequent revisions, however, necessitated last week’s reappearance before the body. The permit fee waiver and expedited processing were again granted by commissioners, although the zoning relief was rendered moot as project architect Doug Gilbert explained that the owners had decided to nix a rear extension.
“Unfortunately certain circumstances have come together in which the clients are not able to do the contemporary wing,” Gilbert reported.
The result is a code-compliant design, but Gilbert said the 1980s-era addition it would have supplanted will be coming down regardless.
“We’re still looking to restore the backside of the house with a partial porch and the original outline of the kitchen,” he told commissioners. “One of the windows from the porch is still there, it’s actually hidden in a wall. And I discovered that the opening for the French doors is still there, so we just have to put the doors back.”
Also slated for removal is the front vestibule from when the home was converted from the summer house built for couple Frederick and Grace Bagley into a year-round dwelling. Salvaged leaded glass and trim details will be repurposed in a new side entrance and mudroom area, Gilbert noted.
The exterior of the home once again will be clad in shingles, a vintage feature that had been concealed behind aluminum siding.
“Where we’ve uncovered (shingles), we found some in decent shape and some that are not in good shape or have a lot of holes in them from when they put insulation in,” said Gilbert, explaining that replacement shingles would be stained to match the originals.
The hipped roof over the dining room bay will be reinstated and a reconstructed three-car garage also will have a multi-function space and a bathroom.
The distinctive octagonal library on the north side will remain.
“The octagonal library is actually pretty intact. It just needs a good restoration once over,” he said.
Upstairs bedrooms and bathrooms will be reconfigured for modern functionality, but otherwise Gilbert said the residence will honor its notable pedigree.
“So the entry hall, library, living room and dining room will be restored back to Wright’s vision, he said. “(The owners’) strategy all along has been to make this a house that is suitable for 21st-century living while restoring both the exterior views and some of the key interior spaces that Wright did.”
Commissioner Richard Olsen praised the plan.
“I love what you’ve done with the house – taking out that 1980s addition and restoring this back to, essentially, what it was,” he said.
Gilbert acknowledged the protracted timeline.
“We appreciate everyone’s patience,” he said. “We think it’ll be very worth it when it’s done.”
