700 Western

HISTORIC IMPRESSIONS
The house: John W. Fitzgibbons house, 700 western Ave.

Why it's important....
The home at 700 Western Avenue is one of the largest and most elegantly appointed Colonial 4 Squares in Joliet. It was also the home of prominent Joliet businessman John Fitzgibbons.

Style....
The Fitzgibbons home is an excellent Colonial 4 square. The 4 square refers to the basic body of the house being laid out in a square. The Colonial Revival details include the classical full front porch, and the Palladian motif of the windows in the dormer.

The History....
The land upon which the Fitzgibbons home stands is part of a larger lot of land which contained the Gorges house. The Gorges home stood just to the west of the Fitzgibbons home, and was constructed some time in the 1880s.

The home at 700 Western was built around 1905 on land subdivided by Mr. Gorges. The large 4 square home is a classic example of the transition in home building. It is a classic example of early 20th century design, though it still has a full horse barn to the rear, showing that the automobile was still a short time away from becoming the main mode of transportation.

Around 1916 the Gorges home was demolished, and John Fitzgibbons purchased the land and constructed a new home at 704 Western Ave. At this time the old house was sold to Dr. John F. Courtney. The Courtney family would own the home well into the 1940s, when it would again change hands. It would pass though 2 more families before coming into the possession of the current owners.

Details....
The Fitzgibbons home is a stunning Colonial 4 square, yet the exterior of this home is only the beginning of the beautiful details. The home has a traditional small vestibule with a vaulted ceiling. This leads into a central hall.

To the right is a study with original cast plaster molding in the Corinthian style. On the walls are beautiful gothic panels which were added after the home was built. The entrance to this room has a massive pocket door.

To the left of the entry is the living room. It has a fireplace which is flanked on either side by stained glass windows. These have a beautiful rose motif. The room has a heavy beamed ceiling. This room leads into the dining room. Originally there were pocket doors; these however were removed some time ago. The dining room also has a classical plaster cornice and oak woodwork.

Tucked at the rear of the hall is the staircase. This is nestled into a nook, but is breathtaking when going up due to the large stained glass window which features a climbing rose design.

To the rear of the house is the kitchen and family room. The kitchen has been modernized and has lost the original butlers pantry. The family room is in a later addition. The upstairs contains 4 bedrooms and the bathroom. It has a central hall and a door which leads to the attic level which has been recently converted to a master bedroom.

The People....
John W. Fitzgibbons married into the Vance family which owned a large furniture store in downtown Joliet on VanBuren Street. He was in the position of Treasurer when he constructed the home. He would continue in the family business until his death.

More interesting than the original owner, is the second owner Dr. Courtney. He was a homeopathic Doctor in Lockport for many years. When the first World War broke out, Dr. Courtney became the head of the Draft Board for the county. Due to the fact that he had the ultimate decision on who was sent to war and who was not, he was plagued by mothers at his doorstep. In order to avoid this, he moved from Lockport to Joliet to find some peace.

Today.... The Fitzgibbons home was purchased in 2005 by Tim and Alicia Tocwish. They had been looking at many houses over a couple of years, and were even in the process of building a new home when they found the listing for 700 Western. Having lived in the south, Tim and Alicia were very fond of historic homes, having been on housewalks and tours in Natchez and New Orleans. As their search went on they looked at several historic homes in Joliet, but all involved could not come to an agreement until they saw the Fitzgibbons house.

They have been hard at work on the house. They have completely remodeled the attic level into a master bedroom and bath. They now look forward to restoring the home, and returning it to a more historically inspired décor.

Did you know?.... The difference between a carriage house and a horse barn is the presence of a hay loft. You can tell this by looking for a hay door on the upper level. The Fitzgibbons barn has the loft door to the alley side, and it is decorated as to blend with the siding on the rest of the structure.