Winnetka Houses
Since its founding, many Winnetkans have been committed to preserving the Village’s historic structures. In some cases, preservation of older buildings has been possible not through careful maintenance or restoration but through renovations that turned private residences into public buildings or vice versa. Learn more about the ways in which these historic buildings at 411 Linden (house → museum), 860 Oak (church → house), 761 Cherry (shop → school → house), and 302 Forest (house → dormitory → house) have been transformed and used over time.
Click the houses below to learn how each one has evolved.
Winnetka Commercial Buildings
Since the early 19th century, several Winnetka businesses have opted to transform historic commercial buildings in lieu of new construction. In 1937, for example, Bratschi Plumbing transformed an old blacksmith shop at 801 Oak into the long-term home of their successful business. Since then, several other commercial buildings have been converted to suit the needs of contemporary businesses. Read more about the ways in which 801 Oak (now Bratschi Plumbing), 925 Green Bay (the Packard building), 574 and 985 Green Bay (now Fred’s Garage and Mino’s), and 566 Chestnut (the Laundry building) have been adapted for reuse over time.
