Celadon announced this timeline Saturday afternoon at a community fish boil, which drew several hundred residents to the mansion’s front lawn for a meal of white fish and news on the landmark property’s future. During a brief program, Celadon President Scott Henry told attendees that the firm is aiming to begin construction in the first quarter of 2026 and finish a year later, in early 2027, adding that they won’t be “waiting for 2027 to have a party.”

“This is the first of many community events that we’ll have, even during construction,” Henry said. “We’re excited to give you a glimpse of what’s to come, and we hope that you come away from here just as excited as we are.”

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Jennifer Shadur, a lifetime Evanston resident and president of Friends of Harley Clarke, said the group “is very grateful for continued support and interest in keeping this gem for future generations of Evanston residents,” adding, “We envision a use that will be inviting for everyone in our community, and our effort is to support the house — regardless of which proposal is selected — so long as a strong public use is evident, per the language of the referendum, our charter, and the request for proposal from the city.”

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Friends of Harley Clarke, an Evanston grassroots group, started a fundraising campaign for the preservation of the Harley Clarke House. The House is also known as ‘the people’s mansion’ in Evanston. Richard Powers, an architect, constructed the Harley Clarke House back in 1927. Jens Jensen designed the grounds of the house.

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EVANSTON, IL. December 3, 2019 -- Friends of Harley Clarke launches its Priority Preservation Campaign today, on #GivingTuesday, for the Harley Clarke House in Evanston, Illinois. The goal of the campaign is to secure funding for essential maintenance which will prevent more costly repairs in the future -- regardless of which use plan is ultimately selected for Harley Clarke in response to the City's Request for Proposal…

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Happy Valentine’s Day week! I had fun joining Landmarks Illinois this weekend heart-bombing the Harley Clarke Mansion in Evanston, Illinois. Thanks in part to the hard work of Save Harley Clarke (now Friends of Harley Clarke), this beautiful lakefront mansion will go on to serve a new life. An adaptive reuse plan for the building is currently in works.

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The multiyear saga over the fate of Evanston’s 91-year-old landmarked Harley Clarke Mansion came to a dramatic conclusion in December when the City Council voted against an earlier measure calling for the building’s demolition.

The sudden change of heart was the result of grassroots preservation efforts and overwhelming voter support of a November referendum to protect the old English Tudor Revival structure. “Historic preservation victories are rarely any sweeter—or more democratic, small “d”—than this one,” wrote Chicago Tribune columnist Blair Kamin.

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The people speak in Evanston: Kudos to the tireless Evanston activists who spearheaded an election campaign that sent a strong message to the city’s leaders: Save the Harley Clarke mansion, a graceful, city-owned Tudor Revival lakefront home. The leaders listened.

In an advisory referendum, about 80 percent of voters opted in favor of preserving the vacant 1927 mansion at 2603 Sheridan Road.

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#5. Heart Bomb 2019: Harley Clarke Mansion. A lot of people have put a lot of time and effort into saving the Harley Clarke Mansion. I was happy to participate in a little piece of the preservation efforts through Landmark Illinois’ Skyline Council. Head over to Friends of Harley Clarke for the latest in the preservation story.

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