The oldest home in the Old Irving Park neighborhood would be designated as an official Chicago landmark under a recommendation introduced to City Council today by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks.

The Phebe and John Gray House at 4362 W. Grace St. was built in approximately 1856 by John Gray, who served as the first Republican sheriff of Cook County from 1858-1860. The Italianate-style, wood-frame home consists of two main floors and a third-story cupola.

Designed by an unknown architect, the house originally anchored a large farmstead outside of Chicago’s city limits prior to the area’s annexation in 1889. The Grays were among its early settlers, having moved to Illinois from upstate New York. Recognized for its heritage and architecture, the house’s landmark designation would protect its exterior elevations and rooflines from significant alteration or demolition.

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