The Villa Avenue Train Station is one of two former

Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad The Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad (CA&E), known colloquially as the "Roarin' Elgin" or the "Great Third Rail", was an interurban railroad that operated passenger and freight service on its line between Chicago and Aurora, Batavia, Geneva, St. ...

(CA&E) stations in

Villa Park, Illinois Villa Park is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States, within the Chicago metropolitan area. The population as of the 2020 Census is 21,113. Villa Park is a western suburb of Chicago. History When Ovaltine established its fact ...

. The building was also used as an office by the Western United Gas and Electric Company. Listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1986, it is now the home of the Villa Park Historical Society Museum.

History

The station is a

Tudor Revival Tudor Revival architecture (also known as mock Tudor in the UK) first manifested itself in domestic architecture in the United Kingdom in the latter half of the 19th century. Based on revival of aspects that were perceived as Tudor architecture ...

structure built between August and November 1929. The station replaced two smaller waiting rooms on the east side of Villa Park. The western portion of the station served passengers, while the eastern portion functioned as a Western United Gas and Electric Company office. Both the railroad and the utility company were owned by utilities mogul Samuel Insull. Realtors Ballard & Pottinger would offer free railway trips to the station on Sundays to show off properties in the local region. The station was across the street from the American

Ovaltine Ovaltine (also known by its original name Ovomaltine) is a brand of milk flavoring product made with malt extract (except in the blue packaging in the United States), sugar (except in Switzerland), and whey. Some flavors also have cocoa. Ovalt ...

factory, the largest employer in the village. Villa Park eventually became the largest commuter customer for the railroad. Villa Avenue Train Station closed on July 3, 1957, due to the decline of the CA&E. On August 22, 1986, it was listed on the

. Today the station is the headquarters of the Villa Park Historical Society Museum. It is one of only four CA&E stations still standing. Today it is found along the

Illinois Prairie Path The Illinois Prairie Path (often called the Prairie Path and abbreviated IPP) is a network of of bicycle trails, mostly in DuPage County, Illinois. Portions of the trail extend west to Kane County and east to Cook County. Most of the trail is ca ...

, which was constructed along the former CA&E

right-of-way Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another. A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...

.Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
/ref>

Architecture

The building was designed by Arthur U. Gerber, staff-architect of Samuel Insull who owned the CA&E at the time. The single-story building is rectangular, measuring . A

gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

roof covers the waiting room section and the portico. The roof includes a limestone chimney and synthetic shingles. Window and door frames are made of wood. Walls are built with wood, stucco and limestone. The southern elevation features a limestone wall topped with two rows of limestone blocks. The western portion includes a stone-arched window with mullioned casements. The eastern half has three high square windows. The three gables are half-timbered and stuccoed.

References

External links

* {{Commonscat-inline
Villa Park Historical Society Museum
Villa Avenue Railway stations in the United States opened in 1929 Railway stations closed in 1957 Villa Avenue Railway stations on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois Museums in DuPage County, Illinois History museums in Illinois Villa Park, Illinois Former railway stations in Illinois Railway stations in DuPage County, Illinois

History

Architecture

See also

References

External links