Elkhart preservation commission defeats owner’s request to install purchased three-over-one windows at 142 State Street

The Elkhart Historical and Cultural Preservation Commission on Feb. 27 defeated an application (25 COA-01) to replace street-facing windows at 142 State Street, a contributing gable-front house built about 1880.

The commission’s action preserves the commission’s prior position that street-facing windows should retain the original 2-over-2 light divisions and that vinyl installations are generally not appropriate in the historic district. Deb, historic preservation staff for the commission, told members the windows had already been purchased and said the commission’s earlier decision on a related application (24 COA-7) denied wholesale replacement with vinyl and recommended repair or replacement with fiberglass or aluminum-clad windows matching the original 2-over-2 proportions.

Deb summarized the earlier ruling and guidelines: front-facing windows should be repaired and retained where possible; if replacement is necessary, materials should be fiberglass or aluminum-clad wood and new units should simulate original divided lights with applied grid spacers on the glass rather than muntins between panes. She told the commission the applicant had purchased 3-over-1 black-exterior Hawthorne-branded windows in September and that those windows do not match the historic 2-over-2 proportions the commission seeks to preserve. Deb said the commission’s prior motion on the related COA (24 COA-7) approved denying vinyl replacements by a 5-0 vote.

Bruce Jones, who identified himself as owner through JI Contracting and the purchaser of the windows, told the commission he had hoped to return the windows but the supplier would not accept them. “I did not disclose that because I had hoped that I could return the windows after the meeting. I immediately reached out to the supplier and was told that they could not return those windows,” Jones said. He said he has “probably $70,000 invested in this property” and that the windows were special-order sizes that would only fit 142 State Street.

Commission members pointed to earlier violations in the neighborhood where vinyl windows had been installed without approval and fined by the building department. Members said that exceptions have been made in the past for special circumstances—such as an infill project with funding that required hurricane-rated glazing—but that those exceptions are limited and do not change the commission’s standards for existing historic houses. The commission emphasized that front- and street-facing windows are subject to the strictest review.

A motion to approve 25 COA-01 as presented was moved and seconded, followed by a required roll-call vote. The commission voted against approving the application, and 25 COA-01 was defeated. The commission directed that follow-up about possible fines and next steps be handled by the city legal and building departments; staff members were named as contacts to work with the owner on next steps.

The commission advised the owner that storm windows and alternatives that preserve the multi-pane appearance, or replacement with fiberglass or aluminum-clad windows that match the original light divisions, would be acceptable approaches if replacement is necessary. The owner said he understood the decision and that he would consult the city’s legal and building staff about how to proceed.