254, 270, and 271 Scott
The stories of Victorian houses at 254, 270, and 271 Scott begin with Jared Gage, a businessman turned banker who made his fortune running the first flour mill in downtown Chicago in the 1840s. Gage arrived in Winnetka in 1855, where he built an imposing Italianate house at 1175 Whitebridge Hill.Along with prominent Winnetkans James Willson and Charles Peck, Gage funded and oversaw the construction of the Lakeside (now Hubbard Woods) train station. When the station was completed, Gage built a road to connect his home on the lake to the station – Scott Avenue.In 1872, Gage built four houses on Scott Avenue – three for his children and one, 254 Scott, as a rental property. He built two houses for his son – 270 Scott for either John or George, his eldest sons, and 278 Scott for his youngest son, Frank. 271 Scott was built as a wedding gift for Gage’s daughter, Mary and her husband, George Stoutenburg, a wholesale drug salesman who served as a Village trustee.One year after his four Scott Avenue houses were completed, Jared Gage lost his fortune after the Panic of 1873. His bank, Fidelity Savings Bank, closed and he was forced to vacate his house on Whitebridge Hill and move in with his son, Frank, at 278 Scott. Gage died in Frank’s house in 1880.While all four Gage houses still stand today, only three remain on Scott Avenue. In 1999, 278 Scott was threatened with demolition but saved by a homeowner who moved the structure to 274 Hazel Avenue in Glencoe, where it remains today.270 Scott also has an interesting history beyond the Gages. In 1903, it was purchased by Chicagoan William Sewell Hamm. Willa Hamm, his oldest daughter, became a well-known artist, studying at Chicago’s National Academy of Art. While in school, she met and married fellow art student Herman Menzel. Willa went on to become a successful art director with Marshall Field & Company. Although Herman rarely exhibited his work, he later became known as an important “regionalist” artist, expressing scenes of everyday life in a simple, honest manner. When Willa and Herman Menzel moved to Winnetka in 1943, they moved into the house she’d grown up in at 270 Scott. The Menzels lived there until Willa’s death 1997.While 270 Scott has undergone some changes, many of the original Victorian Gothic elements remain. 254 and 271 Scott look today much as they did when they were first built by Gage in 1871.
15 Old Green Bay
Like many houses on the Village’s northern border, 15 Old Green Bay has a Winnetka address but is technically in Glencoe. This Georgian Revival house was built in 1909 for John Rogerson Montgomery II, an attorney who came from a long line of attorneys. At one point, the Montgomery’s had the longest family streak of attorneys in the United States.He was quite accomplished, serving as president of the Illinois Bar Association and a founding member of Montgomery, Hart, Pritchard & Herriott law firm. He died in the home in 1937.While John Montgomery purchased the property at 15 Old Green Bay Road in 1902, construction didn’t start until 1909.He hired architect Howard Van Doren Shaw, one of Chicagoland’s most famous architects of the twentieth century, to design the house. In 1894, Shaw established his practice and 3 years later, designed an Arts & Crafts-style house called “Ragdale” for himself and his family in Lake Forest. Ragdale is now considered one of the best examples of Arts and Crafts architecture and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. He became well-known for designing country houses in Chicagoland, and influenced many of the next generation of Chicago architects.This Georgian Revival house is one of Shaw’s many designs listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also a designated Local Landmark in Glencoe.
888 Tower
The house at 888 Tower is notable for its association with two of Winnetka’s most accomplished residents.The original owner was John Nash Ott Sr., a lawyer for First National Bank in Chicago. While quite successful in his own right, Ott is best-known as the father of John Nash Ott, Jr., who was born in this house at 888 Tower in 1909.John Nash Ott Jr. was an accomplished photographer, inventor, cinematographer, and television host. Growing up in Winnetka, he was intrigued by time-lapse photography and botany from a young age. Although he initially followed in his father’s footsteps by taking a job at the First National Bank of Chicago, finance was only ever a day job. He spent his free time on time-lapse photography and in 1927, created his first film featuring apple blossoms blooming overnight. The majority of Ott’s later films featured species of flowers, vegetables, and fruits in various stages of growth.As an adult, Ott Jr. lived at 40 Woodley, where he built a large greenhouse for plants to film. In the 1950s, Ott went to work for Disney, producing several educational films using his groundbreaking work with time-lapse photography. Later in life, he created a company named Ottlite Technology, which invented the a light bulb that emits full-spectrum light. You can still purchase the OttLite light bulb today.While we don’t know for sure, the architect of this Tudor Revival house is possibly William Otis, a well-known local architect who designed several of Winnetka’s most historic structures. He became one of Winnetka’s busiest architects, designing a number of exceptional houses and public buildings, including Christ Church, Horace Mann School, the Lloyd Memorial Library, and Greeley School.In some ways, it would be surprising if Otis designed this house. The style, for example, differs from most of the Winnetka homes he designed for his clients. However, there are several images of it in his 1909 personal scrapbook. Every other property featured in the scrapbook was designed by Otis, so it would be unusual for him to include a property in his personal scrapbook that he didn’t design.Despite uncertainty about the architect, this house has been identified as a potential candidate for the National Register of Historic Places.
824 Prospect
824 Prospect was originally built around 1898 for Henry Swanson, a “grinder” or cutlery salesman and his wife Anna. The Swansons were longtime Winnetka residents and lived in this house for four decades.Unfortunately, we don’t know who the architect of this beautiful house was. It is likely, though, that the architect was influenced by the Classical Revival structures featured at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, which sparked national enthusiasm for the style.This particular house has been altered over time, but several unique features remain or have been restored. The front door, for example, is topped by a broken pediment and the porch is supported by classical-style round Ionic columns. The ornate trim below the three rooflines are original to the house and add a unique touch to its many noteworthy features.Many of these features were restored in the 1970s when the house was purchased by a designer with a passion for the house’s original style and history.There is one interesting element of this house that remains a mystery. Several historic images show that the porch was once enclosed behind a curved wall of windows. Unfortunately, these photos are undated, so we aren’t sure how the porch looked in its original state. Since at least the 1960s, the house has been wrapped by an open porch, which has been beautifully preserved for decades.Thanks to over a century of care by its many owners, 824 Prospect has been identified as potentially eligible for the National Register of Historic Places and is included on the Illinois Historic Structures Survey as an architecturally distinctive property.
800 Prospect
The beautifully preserved Tudor Revival cottage at 800 Prospect was built in 1928 and designed by Spencer Solon Beman. Beman was the son of Solon Spencer Beman, the famed architect of the Pullman neighborhood in Chicago, the Pabst Building in Milwaukee, and several of the World’s Columbian Exposition buildings.Born in 1887, Spencer Beman followed in his father’s footsteps at a young age, joining his practice until 1914 when his father passed away. He then largely practiced on his own, and while he became best-known for designing Christian Science buildings, he also designed several opulent Tudor and French Revival residences on the North Shore. In Winnetka, Beman designed at least 20 houses, including the F.H. McNabb House at 950 Hill Road (a Local Landmark), 777 Rosewood and, of course, 800 Prospect.Beman designed this home for Alexander P. Thoms, a native Chicagoan who worked as a superintendent at the Electric Light Company in the city. Thoms and his wife Anna lived in the house until 1943, when it was sold to Morris Bloomberg, an executive at a clothing company in Chicago.Stylistically, 800 Prospect is easily one of Winnetka’s most charming Tudor Revival structures. The steeply pitched roof, arched doorway and cream stucco with half-timbered upper siding above the first floor stone and brick are particularly representative of the style, and appear today much the same as they originally did. The bay window in the front is also original and representative of the style.While this house does not currently have any historic status, it was identified as a significant structure and potentially eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
822 Bryant
The shingle-style house at 822 Bryant was designed by Augustus Higginson in 1901. Born in Boston, Higginson studied architecture at Harvard and the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris before moving to Winnetka in 1895. Higginson’s brother George was an influential businessman and one of the largest landowners in Winnetka, and likely convinced his brother to settle in the growing Village. He had recently begun working with prominent architect Jarvis Hunt when he was hired by businessman Edwin S. Fetcher (originally Fechheimer) to design a unique house in the Village.Originally from Cinncinnati, Edwin Fechheimer moved to Chicago in 1890 to work for the Winslow Brothers Ornamental Iron Company. In 1897, he moved to Winnetka, living with friends on Prospect Avenue until his house was completed in 1901. Immediately upon its completion, 822 Bryant made an impression on the Village and the wider architectural community. It was written up in Inland Architect in 1902, Architectural Record in 1904, and House Beautiful in 1905.Known locally as the “brown house” for its brown shingle siding, the house was – and still is – lauded for its quintessential shingle-style exterior, and decidedly Arts and Crafts-style interior. The wood-paneled living room with its beamed cathedral ceiling is virtually unchanged today, and the large fireplace still contains the original andirons crafted by the Winslow Brothers Company, who famously casted the Louis Sullivan-designed ornamental façade of the Carson Pirie Scott building.The house remained in the Fetcher family until 1954. The current owners have compiled extensive research on the house and have committed to maintaining many of the house’s notable original features. Because of its unique design and fascinating history, 822 Bryant has been identified as potentially eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
830 Sheridan
830 Sheridan Road is easily one of the most famous houses in Winnetka. This house, known as “Wayside,” is named after the tavern owned by John Garland, the first resident of the original portion of the house at 830 Sheridan.Originally built in 1850s, Wayside started as a two-story brick structure that measured approximately 21 x 31 feet. Significant portions were added in the 1880s, and the house went through a large remodel in 1890 to make it more cohesive.As one of the oldest houses in Winnetka, 830 Sheridan is interesting in its own right. This house is made even more fascinating, however, due to its most famous resident, Henry Demarest Lloyd, who bought the house in 1878 and lived there until his death in 1903. Lloyd was quite an important character in the history of Winnetka. He began his career as a journalist in New York City where he fought against corruption and helped the working people of the city gain access to public libraries. In 1872, however, he left the Big Apple and moved to Chicago, where he joined the staff of the Chicago Tribune. Lloyd married women’s rights activist Jessie Bross one year later and the couple moved into Wayside shortly after.While living in Winnetka, Lloyd made a name for himself as one of the first “muckraking” journalists. Lloyd advocated for reform through both journalism and books. He pushed the envelope in support of labor unions, which landed him in hot water with his father-in-law William Bross, who was also editor and founder of the Tribune. He left the paper in 1885.Shortly after, Lloyd proved controversial again when he set about defending the anarchists accused of bombing Haymarket Square. Such opinions left himself and Jessie ostracized from Chicago society. After leaving the Tribune, Lloyd continued to write on his own terms. His most famous book, Wealth Against the Commonwealth, was published in 1894.While the Lloyds were no longer welcomed by Chicago society, they were quite well respected by their friends and neighbors in Winnetka. Lloyd’s friend and fellow Winnetkan Frederick Greeley once remarked about Wayside: “No one cared what he had or how he looked but each one felt that he gave and received value in this clearing house of ideas, where both poor and rich got richer and no one lost.” In addition, social reformer Jane Addams remained a supporter of Lloyds, even referring to Wayside as an annex for her famous social settlement, Hull House.While Lloyd was consistently busy with his work, he was nonetheless dedicated to his community. He participated in the development of the Village Improvement Association, the Winnetka Town Meeting, and the Fourth of July celebration. He was also instrumental in the formation of the municipally owned water and electric plants.Incredibly, Lloyd’s children and grandchildren maintained ownership of the house until the 1970s. Because of its unique original and remodeled construction, as well as its association with Lloyd, this vernacular Victorian house became Winnetka’s first National Historic Landmark in 1976.
Christ Church
A visit to a wayside tavern by weary pioneers on their long trek from New York to Wisconsin lead to the development of Winnetka’s first church, Christ Church. Those pioneers, John and Susannah Garland, arrived at the Patterson tavern in 1847 and quickly fell in love with the natural beauty of the area. They decided to settle in Winnetka and purchased the tavern from Zernah Patterson.Initially, Garland closed the tavern to travelers on Sundays, conducting services for his family and friends inside. Eventually, he built a house just south of the tavern, which was later moved across the street to its current location at 830 Sheridan Road.In 1869, he built the Garland Church, now known as Christ Church. Originally, the church was to be a “meeting-house for any and all denominations.” In 1876, Garland gave the church and the land on which Christ Church now stands to the Episcopalians in honor of his fourth wife, Juliette. In 1904, the original church building was given to the First Scandinavian Evangelical Church and was disassembled and moved, board-by-board, to what is now 886 Elm Street. It was sadly demolished in 1965.That same year, William M. Hoyt donated funds to build a larger church on the same site of the original Christ Church on Sheridan Road to memorialize his daughter and her children, who had tragically died in the Iroquois Theater fire in Chicago in 1903.The new building opened for worship in 1905 and was designed by William Otis, a well-known local architect who designed several of Winnetka’s most historic structures. He became one of Winnetka’s busiest architects, designing a number of exceptional houses and public buildings, including the Horace Mann School, the Lloyd Memorial Library, and the Greeley School.He is also likely the architect of 888 Tower Road, which we will visit later on this tour!Due to its Italianate design and significance in the history of Winnetka, the Christ Church building has been marked as an eligible candidate for the National Register of Historic Places.
788 Walden
The beautiful eclectic home at 788 Walden may not look old, but the original structure is actually one of Winnetka’s oldest. This house was first build in 1875 by developer E. Ashley Mears, who has quite an interesting history on the North Shore and beyond.Mears was born in Vermont in 1840. He moved to Chicago at a young age, where he first became a stove manufacturer before attending law school and later, diving into banking and real estate. In 1869, Mears married Margaret Everts and had 6 children.By the time his children were born, Mears had made a fortune. He saw an opportunity to enhance his wealth in Winnetka, which was on the cusp of a real estate boom. In the early-to-mid 1870s, Mears built 14 imposing Victorian mansions in the northwest part of the Village.While impressive in stature with unique architectural features on the outside, none of the mansions were complete by the time they were sold. Most of the mansions were sold as a shell of a house, and a poorly constructed one at that. According to Village engineer Frank Windes, the mansions were “cheaply constructed and could hardly stand by themselves when a stiff wind struck them.” Mears had a hard time selling some of the houses and many of the homeowners that purchased a Mears mansion could not afford to complete the construction. Several had to sell or vacate the house due to a lack of insulation during Winnetka’s bitter cold winters.Records show that Mears, under scrutiny for his “loose” business practices and “shaky” banking methods, left Chicago and opened several banks in North Dakota. There, he was investigated for fraud and after losing much of his fortune in the Panic of 1893, moved his family to Minneapolis. Mears died in Minnesota a poor man on May 4, 1912.Many of Mears’ Winnetka mansions, knowns as the “sham mansions,” fared little better than their developer. Some stood vacant while others were torn down, or worse – engulfed in fire (at least 3 suffered this fate).Thankfully, 788 Walden escaped such a fate. It was purchased in 1881 by Lucy Fairfield Furness, a wealthy Chicagoan from New England who married prominent attorney William Eliot Furness and became one of the founding members of the well-known Chicago Women’s Club.Just a few years later, in 1885, the house was purchased by the Heinig family, who owned the property until 1954. Perhaps the best-known member of the Heinig family was Frank Heinig. Frank was a tailor who won a prestigious award at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition for his Promenade Suit design. Julius Heinig, Frank’s brother, lived at 788 Walden until 1894, when he moved to Colorado. The house first passed to Julius’ son Herman and later, his oldest son Bernard, who worked as a wagon manufacturer in Chicago. Bernard remained in the house until 1954, keeping it in the Heinig family for almost 70 years.Thanks to the Heinig family’s long-term care, and the passion of its owners since, 788 Walden is now the only Mears mansion that remains. In contrast to the other ill-fated “sham mansions,” 788 Walden has benefitted from the care of its owners, and will hopefully remain standing in Winnetka for many years to come.Stylistically, 788 Walden’s features are as unique as its long history. While described by some as an architectural “puzzle,” it may best be characterized as an eclectic Victorian with some Second Empire features, such as the tall, square original structural shape, the various narrow and tall windows, and the original mansard roof. The house has been heavily renovated, but these original features can still be seen on the original structure of the house.
1004 Westmoor
This lovely Tudor Revival home was designed by Chicago-based architect Monroe R. Sandel in 1926 for attorney George A. Mason Jr. and his wife Louise. Mason was born in Chicago in 1902. After passing the bar exam, he went into business with his father, establishing the firm Mason and Mason at 69 West Washington in the city. The house he commissioned at 1004 Westmoor has been identified as potentially eligible for the National Register of historic places, perhaps because of its lovely Tudor Revival design elements.Tudor Revival is one of the most popular styles in Winnetka. Many elements of this house are representative of the style, including the steeply pitched dormers over the windows, the brick chimney, and the signature stucco and half-timber siding.The entrance to this house was originally on Locust on the right side, and the original address was 740 Locust. This was changed in the 1940s when the house was renovated and the driveway moved to connect to Westmoor.Today, this remains one of the many Tudor Revival designs that give Winnetka its unique, historic character.
777 Rosewood
The beautiful Tudor Revival house at 777 Rosewood was built in 1929. The first owners of 777 Rosewood were John and Ruth Jirgal, who owned the house until Ruth died in 1950. The most significant person related to this house is not its original owner, however, but rather its architect, Spencer Solon Beman.Spencer Solon Beman was born in Chicago in 1887. Son of famed architect and Pullman designer Solon Spencer Beman, he followed in his father’s footsteps and became an architect at a young age. He practiced alongside his father until his death in 1914, after which he worked largely on his own. Beman is perhaps best known for designing Christian Science buildings, including the First Church of Christ, Scientist’s original building at 440 Ridge (which is now home to Grace Presbyterian Church).He is also the architect of several notable North Shore homes. In Winnetka, for example, Beman designed the houses at 597 Oak, 614 Willow and, of course, 777 Rosewood, to name a few. He also designed the McNabb house at 950 Hill, which became a local Designated Landmark in 1995.Some of Beman’s best-known designs are Tudor Revival styles, and 777 Rosewood is a great example. While this property does not currently have any historic designations, it has been identified as potentially eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
925 Green Bay
The beautiful Art Deco building at 925 Green Bay was designed by Puckey & Jenkins in 1927. They were notable architects in the Chicago area, designing several historic buildings in the city including the West City Trust & Savings Bank in Belmont Cragin, which has been identified by Landmarks Chicago as an historically significant structure.In Winnetka, they designed several single-family homes, including 585 Arbor Vitae, 3 Golf Lane, 649 and 659 Locust, and the mixed-use building at 1056 Gage, to name a few.This building was designed to house the Packard Motor Car Company, an automotive maker founded in 1899 in Detroit. Packard remained in the building until 1954. In fact, you can still see the Packard name carved into the stone at the top of the building, as well as the letter ‘P’ at the top of each column.After Packard moved out in 1954 due to declining business, Chieftain Pontiac moved into the building and remained there until 1992. Then, the building turned away from the automotive industry when the Gap opened on the first floor in 1993, and the second floor was converted into apartments now called the Packard Loft Apartments.In 2018, the first floor of the building became a Walgreens, but still holds the remnants of its automotive past in its large windows and Packard label. While the building does not have any designated historic status, it has been part of the business district in Hubbard Woods for almost a century.
