The buyers of a cottage in Glencoe designed by Frank Lloyd Wright plan to tear it down, according to Landmarks Illinois, which included the property on its latest list of the state’s most endangered buildings.

Last week, the fate of the Sherman Booth cottage was unclear, as agents for the seller and the buyer made conflicting statements to Crain’s about what the new owners plan to do with it. But the village of Glencoe has since confirmed the new owners have filed a demolition request following a Freedom of Information Act request initiated by the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy earlier this month.

The village says the demolition permit application is incomplete. Landmarks Illinois says a 180-day demo delay period is expected to be triggered when the application is completed, given the cottage’s honorary landmark status with the village, but it lacks an official landmark designation that would prevent demolition.

The cottage, on Franklin Road, was built in 1913 as the temporary home for a couple who were having a larger house, also designed by Wright, built on their 15-acre estate. Relatives of the late longtime owners, who purchased the cottage in 1956, put the property on the market in October 2017 and initially asked $1 million.

The cottage sold May 9 for $555,000, but the sale was not recorded in the multiple-listing service until May 14. Records indicate the buyers are Jean Jingnan Yang and Justin Jun Lu of Riverwoods. They did not respond to requests for comment.Landmarks Illinois named the Sherman Booth cottage one of the year’s most endangered historical buildings because it’s a likely candidate for a teardown due to its small size. The cottage is 1,750 square feet, and current zoning standards would allow a house of about 4,322 square feet on the property.

Lisa DiChiera, director of advocacy at Landmarks Illinois, says the cottage may not be as grand as many of the other Wright homes but it’s still an important early design by the internationally-known master architect. “It’s reflective of the diversity of his design legacy,” she said. “We really think the village of Glencoe needs to help ensure that there is a preservation solution found for this home. It’s very rare that a Frank Lloyd Wright house is ever demolished.”