Clara Woodyatt, Daniel Burnham's sister, lived in this Evanston home, one of six on the Mother's Day house walk. In 1886, urban planner Daniel Burnham moved his family into an old house on a large tract of land in bucolic Evanston, heavily wooded with a sloping beachfront. Six classic homes in Burnham's Evanston will be open to visitors during a housewalk on Mother's Day May 10 in the North Shore suburb.
"He and his wife, Margaret, entertained guests and neighbors with lawn parties and family picnics. It was in Evanston that he was able to relax and escape the rigors of his career," said Eden Juron Pearlman, director of the Evanston History Center, the sponsor of the tour.
Burnham died in 1912. His widow stayed in the home after his death, dividing her time between Evanston and Pasadena, Calif. In 1938, after her death, the house was demolished and the property was subdivided and sold by their sons, Hubert and Daniel Jr. The Burnham property had been bounded by Dempster Street on the north, the lakefront on the east, Stockham Place (later renamed for Burnham) on the south and Forest on the west.
This year's tour is in honor of the centennial of the Burnham Plan of Chicago.
The first home on the housewalk was the residence of Burnham's sister, Clara Woodyatt -- who lived across the street from her brother. Her husband, Dr. William H. Woodyatt, had died in 1880, and Clara moved to Evanston in 1892 along with her two teenage sons, Rollin and Ernest.
Rollin became a doctor, and Ernest became an architect, working for his uncle at Burnham & Root beginning in 1894. Later he formed his own firm. Clara Woodyatt died in 1939 at age 88.
Title searches for the Burnham property show that it was originally owned by Luther Greenleaf, a prominent builder in the area.
The house was originally a Gothic Revival-style cottage, but there were many alterations by subsequent owners. In 1927, a wraparound porch was added. In 1939, the property was purchased and the new owner hired architect H. Ring Clausen to remove the porch, letting more light into the front parlor through the bay window. He also enlarged the kitchen window and built the kitchen cabinets, which are still in use.
The entryway was added later, with the arches over the original double-doors still visible.
William L. Brown, and his wife, Catherine, were friends of the Burnhams. He made a fortune in the iron business.
Brown was on the board of directors of many companies and organizations, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and it was Burnham who designed the CSO's Orchestra Hall at 220 S. Michigan.
As was typical in a house of this size, the 1894 Evanston directory lists, in addition to the Brown family, a coachman, a cook and two servants.
The Browns lived there until 1922, when Irwin Rew purchased the property. He and his family lived there for over 50 years. Irwin Rew's father Henry had invented a method to manufacture gas from coal, crude oil and water. Irwin Rew designed and built gas and electric plants. His daughter, Theresa Rew Long, was Evanston's second female alderman, serving the 1st Ward.
The house has undergone many changes over the years. In 1903, the Browns added a two-story addition, designed by a neighbor and Burnham's nephew, Ernest Woodyatt. In 1917 Brown added a sleeping porch and once again, Ernest Woodyatt was the architect.
Charles Wheeler worked with Brown in the Rookery building (designed by Burnham & Root). Wheeler was a member with Burnham and Brown in the Evanston Country Club too.
"His daughter, Catherine, married Burnham's oldest son, John, in the front parlor of this house," Pearlman said.
Richard Rowe Cook bought the house from Martha Wheeler in 1936, and the Cook family remained there through 1976.
In 1855, Francis H. Benson bought the block bounded by Lake, Ridge, Grove and Asbury and built his house at the north end of the property.
John Hume Kedzie, a real estate developer and political insider, bought the block from Benson in 1861 and moved into the house. It was destroyed by fire -- and so was the second house he built on the same site. In 1879, Kedzie's daughter, Kate Isabella, married George W. Smith, who was also in real estate.
In 1882, J.H. Kedzie gave his daughter title to the central section of land. She and her husband contracted with architect Daniel Burnham to build them the house.
"This is one of the first structures in Evanston to be built by Burnham, and it was built before he moved here," Pearlman said. Kate Isabella died in May of 1883 before the house was finished.
"However, George Smith had such a good relationship with his father-in-law that he stayed in the house, married again and raised his family in this house next to his former in-laws," Pearlman said.
The house has belonged to only three families over the last 120 years. George Watson Smith died in 1937 and the home was purchased by Charles MacDonald. The MacDonald family lived there for over 40 years. Charles' son, James, and his wife Jean raised 9 children in this house.
The current owners have spent 15 years restoring the house. "It was largely unchanged, although it had suffered from neglect," Pearlman said. The current owners did not replace a single piece of hardware -- all the originals are intact.
