82 Essex (1911), called the “Solid Rock” house, is one of Walter Burley Griffin’s best-known designs in Winnetka.
Notable Architects
For a Village of less than 4 square miles, Winnetka has an impressive array of architectural styles. This is in large part due to the many talented architects that designed Winnetka’s historic homes and structures. Learn about notable architects whose visionary designs helped make Winnetka the unique and architecturally significant Village it is today. Click HERE!
660 Pine was designed by W.C. Zimmerman in 1904 and is a Winnetka Designated Landmark.
Local Landmark and National Register Homes and Buildings
Winnetka is home to over 30 National Register and local Designated Landmark buildings. Scroll through the gallery to learn more about these historic structures. View HERE!
The Gage House at 1175 Whitebridge Hill (c. 1857) was turned into a makeshift hospital for survivors of the Lady Elgin wreck.
The House Tells the Story
If Winnetka’s historic houses could talk, they would surely have fascinating stories to tell! The Gage House, the Willson House, and the Mears mansions have particularly captivating (and at times frightening) histories. From a shipwreck to a murder and a swindling developer, learn more about the storied pasts of some of Winnetka’s most notable homes. Click HERE!
660 Prospect, designed by William Otis in 1902, pictured here in 1971.
William Otis
William Otis was long-term Winnetka resident who designed several significant structures in the village and beyond. As a member of one of the most storied families in American history, one could say that Otis was destined for success. He was, for example, a direct descendent of Samuel Otis, the first Secretary of the US Senate who famously held the bible as George Washington was sworn in as the first President of the United States. Otis contributed to his family’s legacy as the successful architect of the Greeley School, Christ Church, Northwestern’s Orrington Library (now Lunt Hall), and his own home at 644 Oak.
Click HERE to learn more about William Otis.
381 Fairview, designed by Joseph Fujikawa in 1971, pictured here in 1972.
Joseph Fujikawa
Joseph Fujikawa was born in Los Angeles in 1922. In 1939, he began studying architecture at the University of Southern California. His studies were interrupted in 1942 when he was relocated to the Granada Relocation Center in Colorado due to his Japanese ancestry. Fujikawa was in the relocation camp for 3 months until he was admitted to the Illinois Institute of Technology, where he earned his degree in Architecture in 1944. He went on to work for famed architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for several decades. In 1971, Fujikawa designed his own family’s home at 381 Fairview in Winnetka.
Click HERE to learn more about Joseph Fujikawa.
519 Ash, designed by Dwight Perkins in 1907, pictured here in 1957.
Dwight Perkins
Dwight Perkins was born in Memphis in 1867 and moved to Chicago at a young age. While he only attended three months of high school, he gained experience working at several architectural firms and was accepted into MIT to study architecture. After graduation, Perkins moved back to Chicago so he could work for the firm Burnham & Root. After several years of honing his craft, he left to start his own firm in 1893. On his own and under several partnerships, Perkins designed several notable buildings in the Chicago area, including the Carl Schurz High School, the Lincoln Park Zoo’s Lion House, and the Winnetka Landmark home at 519 Ash.
Click HERE to learn more about Dwight Perkins.
The Schmidt-Burnham Log House (c. 1837) is the oldest house in Winnetka.
The Schmidt-Burnham Log House
Learn about the history of the Schmidt-Burnham Log House, which is both a local Designated Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Click HERE!
677 Willow (c. 1860), home of Winnetka’s first Civil War casualty, was demolished in 1990.
What’s Left Behind
While notable Winnetkans have worked hard to preserve the historic homes and buildings in the Village, many historic structures have been demolished nonetheless. The Winnetka Historical Society has been committed to collecting and preserving many elements of Winnetka’s lost structures. Scroll through the photo gallery here to see some of the remaining elements of historic structures that have been renovated or are no longer with us. Look HERE!