2445 High St
Blue Island, IL 60406, USA

Joshua P. Young House (McGee House) - National Register of Historic Places

Statement of Significance:
The McGee House is architecturally significant as one of the oldest, extant examples of a style of building known as "Chicago cottage". Built in classic Chicago cottage proportions, the balloon frame of the main one and a half floor s rest on a high ground floor. The frame is sheathed in long, narrow horizontal clapboard. The gable ends of the pitched roof face front and rear. Ornamentation surrounds the windows and doors and over-hanging eaves. Large numbers of wood cottages were destroyed in Chicago during the fire s of 1871 and 1874', after which laws were passed banning the use of balloon frame within the city- limits. The McGee house remains as a prototype of the Chicago cottage.

The house is also historically significant because of the role its owners played in the development of Blue Island, Chicago and South Cook County. Joshua Palmer Young and his first wife, Louisa, moved from New York to Chicago in 1848. He built the first house on the west side, south of Polk Street, Early records show that Young subdivided property block 24, lot #1, in 1852 where the house was already standing. Young was the major rea l estate developer i n the south area of Chicago. As President of the Blue Island Land Company, he developed the Englewood area, and al l the communities along the Blue Island-Beverly Ridge such as Morgan Park, Belmont, Washington Heights and Beverly Hills, as well as Harvey, Homewood and South Holland. In company with John K. Rowley he laid out the south part of Englewood, between Sixty-third and Sixty - eighteen Streets and platted the town of South Lawn, now known as Harvey,

Young's activities in rea l estate development also promoted and developed the Rock Island railroad suburban service in 1366 and the two railroad west of Blue Island, now the C s 0 and the Grand Trunk, Young was also a part owner of the wigwam building where the Republican Convention was held in 1859 when Abraham Lincoln was nominated for president and in which the office s of the Blue Island Land Company were located.

Joshua Young and his first wife, Louisa, had two sons, Charles and Frank. When Louisa died. Young married Minerva Brayton and had another son, Chauncey. In 1866 Young built a second house in Blue Island and sold the McGee house to Michael Arnold, Young was very active in the political life of Blue Island, serving as President of the Board of Trustees from 1878-1880. He was also very active in the religious life of the community. He organized the Congregational Society, donated the land, and contributed liberally toward the erection of a church. He served as Deacon of the church until his death.

In 1866 Michael Arnold, the Rich Township supervisor from 1856-60, moved to Blue Island with his wife Fredericka and their 11 children. He purchased the Young house for $3,700. Arnold served as Blue Island Police Justice in 1875. He was Health Commissioner for both Worth Township and Hyde Park Township (now Calumet Township). Arnold added to the property in 1870, buying parts of Lot 2 and 3. He built a coach house, which is still standing, behind the house on the corner of High and Greenwood, as well as a house just west of the Young house for one of his children.

In 1873 the Village of Blue Island elected to incorporate. The first action by the newly-organized Village government in 1873 was the funding of a board sidewalk in front of the Young house. I t extended from Western Avenue to Maple.

Arnold died in 1881. His wife died in 1885 and his property went into probate Peter Schlueter and his wife Taotie bought the estate in 1888. Contractor Chris Vandenberg added two houses to the property which, together with the Young house, were used as rental properties.

In 1945 Patrick and Henrietta McGee, parents of Ed McGee the current owner, purchased the house.