545 Oak St
Winnetka, IL 60093, USA

Dr. Paul W. Greeley and Eunice House - National Register of Historic Places

Statement of Significance:

The Dr. Paul W. and Eunice Greeley House, located at 545 Oak Street, Winnetka, and constructed in 1937, is locally significant as an excellent example of Classical Revival architecture. It is, additionally, unusual as a relatively literal interpretation of the Greek Revival style that was popular throughout the United States from the 1830's through the 1850's. The residence is the work of architect Frank Polito with ornamental detailing in the formal dining room that is believed to have been designed by Sydney Fiske Kimball. Kimball served as the head of the Department of Art and Architecture at the University of Virginia in 1919, established the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University in 1925, and was appointed Director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, a position he held until his retirement in 1955. The design for the house is believed to have been replicated from the original homeowner's paternal great grandfather's estate near Troy, New York. The house is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Place under Criterion C for architecture. In addition to being an elegant example of a rare building style within the community, 545 Oak Street also gains distinction for its remarkable historic integrity.

HISTORY
Development of the Village of Winnetka
The Village of Winnetka is located seventeen miles north of downtown Chicago and is one of Chicago's eight North Shore suburbs, which are composed of (from south to north) Evanston, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Glencoe, Highland Park, Lake Forest and Lake Bluff. The North Shore suburbs are special, each envisioned as an idyllic commuter suburb with close proximity to Lake Michigan. They offered residents many of the same high-level amenities that homeowners would have enjoyed living within the City of Chicago.

Winnetka's first permanent structure was a log house that was constructed in 1837 by Michael Schmidt. the area began to see additional settlers, albeit at a slow pace, after the United States Congress established the Green Bay Trail as the official post road between Fort Dearborn in Chicago and Fort Howard, Wisconsin. vii This same year, a log tavern and pioneer hotel were built to service travelers on the Green Bay Trail who were traveling on the newly introduced stagecoach service. viii One of the most significant early residents, John and Susannah Garland, purchased the tavern in 1847, after which they built a living quarters addition to the tavern, a saw mill, chapel, a log school house and later a brick residence. Three years later, in 1850, John Garland was also significant in organizing New Trier Township- the township had only one hundred inhabitants.

Chicagoans Charles Peck and Walter Gurnee, who was President of the Chicago and Milwaukee Railroad, in anticipation ofthe construction of a railroad, laid out the Village ofWinnetka.xi The Chicago & Milwaukee Railroad traveled through Winnetka in 1854, with a train stop at Green Bay Road and Elm Street, a short walk from the intersection of Oak and Poplar Streets. The railroad led to development of the area surrounding the tracks. Immediately after the train came through, Winnetka's first stores were built in the Village. In 1856, Charles and Sarah Peck gave the community its name, which is a Native American phrase believed to mean "beautiful land". They also encouraged the planting of trees along Elm Street, one block north of Oak Street, and Sarah Peck opened the community's first private school at her house. The first public school in Winnetka (District #2 School) was established in 1859 on what is now the Village Green.

In 1869, the Village of Winnetka was incorporated with a population of 450 residents. The same year, the Pecks donated the Village Green, located two blocks west of the Greeley House, to the community. At this point, the school was relocated, as the donation stipulated that no structure be built on the land. In 1870, Winnetka's village government became established, nearby, at the comer of Green Bay Road and Ash Street. xvii This same year, kerosene streetlights and wooden sidewalks were laid in parts of the Village. Several churches were constructed towards the end of the 1870s. By the 1880s, Winnetka's population reached 584.xviii In 1884, the Winnetka Public Library was established. The area where the Greeley House was going to be built became a prime residential area, near transportation, municipal services, local businesses, and situated in a beautiful landscaped neighborhood, less than two blocks from Lake Michigan.

Winnetka continued to grow as public amenities made the community desirable. In 1885, Winnetka's Village Improvement Association was formed by a group of progressive citizens. The group helped to plan and implement public improvements within the Village. These improvements included: laying concrete sidewalks (1886), introducing sewers (1890), the construction of a brick tower with a forty-six-thousand-gallon water storage tank (1893), the paving of the macadam streets (1894), the laying of water mains (1895), and the opening of an electric utility plant (1900). By 1890, the Village's population had grown to 1,079 inhabitants. In 1892, both the Winnetka Board of Education and the Board of Health for Winnetka were created. The Board of Education opened the community's first public kindergarten in 1896.xxiii The Horace Mann School was constructed in the Village in 1899. That same year, the Chicago & Milwaukee Electric Railroad Company began servicing Winnetka with its first run. In addition, the Improvement Association encouraged the development of the Park District in 1904, the Winnetka Woman's Club in 1908, the Public Library in 1910, the Winnetka Community House in 1911, the Caucus System in 1915, and the formation of the Winnetka Plan Commission in 1917. The members of the Winnetka Plan Commission were appointed by the Village Council to make suggestions for a comprehensive plan of Village development to preserve the Village's residential character. Edward H. Bennett who worked with Daniel Burnham on The Plan a/Chicago in 1909 was hired as a consultant to assist in developing the Plan of Winnetka, which was published in 1921.

The population of Winnetka had grown to 1,883 residents in 1900.xxvii The late 19th Century had seen several beautiful Gothic Revival, Italianate, and Queen Anne Residences built in the area surrounding the business district. Queen Anne houses continue to be prevalent in the area east of the tracks where the Greeley House was built. To accommodate new Winnetka residents at the beginning of the twentieth century, many historical revival houses were being built in the Village. These styles remained popular through the 1940s- with Colonial, Tudor, Dutch Colonial Revival, Georgian, French, and Spanish Colonial Revival houses built. In 1901, the New Trier Township High School, with the first building designed by Norman. Patten, was opened. The population continued to grow with the Village containing 3,168 residents in 1910.xxx This necessitated the construction of the Samuel Sewall Greeley School, designed by the talented Winnetka architects, William Otis and Edwin Clark, to service kindergarten through fifth grade.

Winnetka continued to grow. In 1916 the Indian Hill Country Club was established. By 1920, the population of Winnetka had reached 6,694 residents. Winnetka's Village Hall, designed by Edwin Hill Clark, was completed in 1925. The Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club were established as the Village grew. By1930, the population had doubled to 12,219 residents. By 1932, the village was becoming aware of its development and the Winnetka Historical Society was founded. Although residential construction in the 1930s slowed as a result of the Great Depression and, later, the country's entry to World War II, the Village of Winnetka received substantial infrastructure projects during this time. This work included the 1933 development of the Skokie Lagoons, located several blocks west of the business district, and the depression of the railroad tracks, a safety measure undertaken between 193 8-194 3 by the Civilian Conservation Corps and recommended in the Winnetka Plan. The landmark Crow Island School, designed by Eliel and Eero Saarinen in association with Perkins, Wheeler & Will, was constructed between 193 9 and 1941 in Crow Island Woods. xxxiii the population of the Village remained fairly constant in the 1940s, reaching 12,605.

After World War II ended, residential construction in Winnetka resumed. Many of the new residences were high-quality ranch houses constructed on the west side of the Village towards the lagoons. Although there were some modernist houses constructed, the preference within the Village was still towards more traditional, historical revival style houses.

Ownership History
The house at 545 Oak Street, although primarily significant for its architecture, was built for a prominent plastic surgeon and his wife. The home where they lived reflects a comfortable lifestyle, where they could entertain and raise a family.

The Dr. Paul W. and Eunice Greeley House was not the first building constructed at 545 Oak Street. Prior to any development, 545 Oak Street was known as Lot 10 in the Charles E. Peck Subdivision of the County Clerk's Division of Block 21 in Winnetka. The lot was subdivided on May 5, 1879, with the owner of Lot 10 listed on the plat of survey as G. Chamberlain. The thirst transaction for Lot 10 in the Cook County Recorder of Deeds ledger books appeared in 1882. On October 5, 1882, Jason Baldwin and Wife transferred ownership of Lot 10 to Rebecca R. Wharf. On October 13, 1892, the Lot was transferred from Jane H. Copelin and Husband to Julie F. Sanborn. By this transaction, the land had been reduced in size to be described as the east eighty-five-feet of Lot 10. This is the first record in the Cook County Recorder of Deeds of the reduction in the lot's size. On December 12, 1895, Julie F. Sanborn and Husband took out a mortgage with the Winnetka Bank and Loan Association. It is presumed that this was to construct the first dwelling on the lot. A Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of the area dating from 1914 shows a single-family dwelling on the lot. It is presumed to have been a Queen Anne residence because of its outline, the period of construction, and because of similar residences on the block.

The east eighty-five-feet of Lot 10, where 545 Oak is located, was transferred on August 16, 1918 from Julia F. Sanborn to J. Chancellor Junior The purchaser was Justus Chancellor, Junior, whose wife was Dorothy. He and his wife placed the property in trust with the Winnetka State Bank on September 16, 1929. The property would come into the possession of the County Clerk, who sold it to W.F. Fleming on October 10, 1930.x1 It appears that W.F. Fleming held the property from October 10, 1930, until March 31, 1937, when the land was sold to Paul W. and Eunice Greeley.

Paul W. and Eunice Greeley would build the Classical Revival residence, located at 545 Oak Street. The Greeleys owned their home at 545 Oak Street until December 20, 1961, when it was sold to Andrea G. Stone. Andrea Stone lived there for just under ten years before transferring ownership J. William and Louise Holland, September 1, 1970. Louise A. Holland is the current owner.

There is no permit on file with the Village of Winnetka for the residence originally constructed on the east eighty-five feet of Lot 10. However, in addition to its being recorded on the Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of 1914, there is a building permit dated April1, 1937, requesting permission to demolish a "two-story and basement frame single-family dwelling". The property was in possession of the Greeley's at this time; demolition began on April 5, 1937.

The Greeley Residence was constructed under Village of Winnetka Building Permit #4467. The Permit describes the construction of a two-story and basement single-family residence of frame construction with a brick veneer. The house was to be seventy-five feet long, have an irregular depth of thirty-two feet, stand thirty feet tall and contain eight rooms. The architect is identified on the permit as Frank Polito and the builder is Joseph Roti. The estimated cost for construction was $16, 000.xlv On April21, 1937, a concrete driveway was constructed to connect 545 Oak Street with Poplar Streetlight and on May 7, 1937, the sanitary, storm sewers and water main were connected to the residences.

The only additional building permit on file for the house, except for plumbing repairs, is Winnetka Building Permit #9290, filed on May 16, 1974, by J. William and Louise Holland. The permit was for an addition that would replace the original screened-in porch located off of the north elevation of the house's west wing and accessed from both the living and dining rooms. The addition would be twenty-two-and-a-half feet wide, just under fourteen-feet deep, and thirteen feet tall, enclosed with brick veneer. It was designed with large sliding glass doors facing north and fixed sidelights and would become an informal family room. An architect was not identified on the building permit, but the work was to include the services of a contractor, mason, and electrician and was estimated to cost $8,500. The Ionic columns originally used to support the enclosed porch were reused on the family room addition. Three of the columns were installed below the roof, along the addition's north elevation. The room was carefully detailed to blend with the historic house and included projecting brickwork at the comers to create the effect of quoining; all of the brick was painted white to match the rest of the house.

The residents of the first house located at 545 Oak were Joseph and Julie F. Sanborn. Julie F. Sanborn purchased the property from Jane H. Copelin and Husband on October 13, 1892, and took a mortgage from the Winnetka Bank and Loan Association on December 12, 1895. The mortgage was used to construct the two-story single-family residence that occupied the lot prior to the Classical Revival residence constructed by the Greeleys. The United States Census of 1910 shows Joseph E. Sanborn, who was born in New Hampshire and was fifty-five years old, and Julia F. Sanborn, who was born in Wisconsin and was fifty-one years old, residing at 545 Oak Street in Winnetka. Nellie F. Lamerty, Julia's widowed sister-in-law also lived there. Joseph Sanborn's occupation was identified as book publisher.

The next owner, Justus Chancellor Junior, lived in the house from August 16, 1918 until at least September 16, 1929, when the property was placed in trust with the Winnetka State Bank. Justus Chancellor Junior was the son of Justus Chancellor, who was born in October 1863 in Indiana, and his wife Docia, who was born in February of 1868 in West Virginia.1 The couple had two children, Leala, born in January of 1891, and Justus Chancellor Junior, born on June 17, 1892,1 i both in Illinois. Justus Chancellor Senior was a lawyer who had been in practice since 1886.1 ii The Chicago Blue Book of 1906 identifies the family as residing at 1480 Wellington Street in Lake View.1 iii Justus Chancellor Junior would graduate from Yale's Sheffield Scientific School in 1916.1iv After graduation he served as clerk in the law office of Thornton and Chancellor (his father) in the Tacoma Building at 143-145 LaSalle Street.1 v After marrying and relocating to Winnetka, the Justus Chancellor Junior family included Justus Chancellor III and daughters Helen, Patty and Barbara Chancellor, residing at 549 Oak Street (the address of the residence previously located on the property). 1 vi the family remained in Winnetka for many years, even after selling their property on Oak Street. The Chancellors also kept a farm near Mundelein, Indiana.1 vii Justus Chancellor Junior was active with the Episcopal Church, serving as the only board member from Winnetka with the Episcopal Church Club of Chicago, in 1948.1 viii Dorothy Chancellor was also active in the community, serving on the Winnetka Woman's Board of Lawrence Hall, a home for dependent boys.1 ix No biographical information could be found on W.F. Fleming who owned the property after the Chancellors.

The Greeley family purchased the parcel known as 545 Oak Street from First National Bank Winnetka on March 31, 1937. Paul W. Greeley was born on July 10, 1902 in Waterman, lllinois,1 x to Dr. Paul and Manda W. Greeley. Dr. Greeley, Sr., had been practicing medicine in DeKalb County since 19051 xi and was living there at the time of the 1910 Census.

The 1930 Census shows that Paul Greeley Junior was twenty-eight years old and had been married to 27- year-old Eunice (Goebel) Greeley for three years. They were living in Winnetka. 1 xiii Paul Greeley's occupation, like his father, was listed as Practitioner and Physician/Surgeon.

Eunice (Goebel) Greeley was born in Palo Alto, California, on April 9, 1904,1 xiv to Professor Julius Goebel (preeminent Germanic language scholar) and Kathryn Goebel. In 1931, the Goebel's were residing at 708 Willow Road in Winnetka. Professor Goebel taught at Harvard, John Hopkins, Stanford University, and the University of Illinois, from which he retired in 1926. Professor Goebel was co-founder of the Modem Language Association, received the German Red Cross, was elected to the Senate of the Munich Academy of Sciences, and served as Editor of Bellettristisches Joumal.1 xv Professor Goebel and his wife had seven children. Eunice (Goebel) Greeley's mother Kathryn passed away in 1932 and was survived by five daughters including Eunice and Mrs. Sydney Fiske Kimball, who lived in Philadelphia.

After having resided in Winnetka since at least 1930, Dr. Paul and Eunice Greeley constructed the Classical Revival house that was designed as a replica of Dr. Greeley's ancestral residence in New York, at 545 Oak Street. At the time of construction, the Greeley's were living at 509 Cherry Street in Winnetka.1 xvii The prominent landscape architects Root and Hollister landscaped their new property.1 xviii In addition to their house in Winnetka, the Greeleys owned a cottage in the summer colony of Castle Park, located on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan.1 xix The Castle Park community had some seventy cottages and was very popular with residents of Winnetka. The Greeleys would continue to vacation at Castle Park until at least 1961 .

The Greeleys were prominent Winnetka citizens. Dr. Greeley would enjoy considerable professional success. In 1927, Greeley graduated from Northwestern University Medical School; he received his undergraduate degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 1 xxi Greeley received advanced surgical training at the University of Freiburg, in Munich, and in London.1 xxii He served as Lt. Commander in the Naval Reserve Medical Corps, beginning in February of 1943. 1 xxiii After he completed his service, Greeley became Chief of Plastic Surgery at a Naval Hospital located in Oakland, California, a position that he held from 1943 until February of 1946.1 xxiv Prior to World War II, there were only two hundred plastic surgeons in the United States, making Greeley's skills specialized. 1 xxv Greeley was later awarded a commendation from the Secretary of the Navy for his service. He was promoted to Rear Admiral in the Naval Reserve Medical Corps1 xxvi in 1961 at Great Lakes Naval Station.

In 1949, the University of Illinois Board of Trustees named Dr. Greeley, along with three other North Shore men, to serve as members of the Professional Advisory Committee of Division, of Services (medical, surgical, and corrective care) for Crippled Children.1 xxviii The same year, Eunice Greeley served as Executive of the Winnetka Garden Club Mrs. Greeley remained involved with the community, co-chairing the Winnetka Garden Club's annual spring garden walk in 1952.1 xxx The walk was organized to tour six different houses set up to represent significant moments in a woman's life: debut party, engagement party, bridal dinner, wedding reception, first home, and dream house of middle years. The walk was called "Bud to Full Bloom" and included the Greeley house, which was set up to host a bridal dinner.

In 1952, while still residing at 545 Oak Street, Greeley would participate with three additional doctors on a full day surgery (almost thirteen hours) that was required to separate conjoined twins at the University of Illinois Research and Educational Hospitals.1 xxxii Dr. Greeley acted as Chief Plastic Surgeon for the procedure.1 xxxiii Greeley served as Professor and Chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery at the University of Illinois College of Medicine1 xxxiv - a position he held from 193 7 to 1969 _lxxxv He also was a Professor of Surgery and Chairman of the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Rush Medical College and RusPresbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center from 1957 to 1967.1 xxxvi Dr. Greeley served as a member othe Reserve Consulting Board in Plastic Surgery of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery for the Department of the Navy and was active in other professional organizations_ Dr. Greeley retired in 1972 and shortly thereafter moved with Eunice to La Jolla, California.

Eunice W. Greeley passed away in La Jolla on June 4, 1978,1 xxxix where she had been residing for eight years. Mrs. Greeley, who had spent forty years living in Winnetka was an active garden club member, involved with the Indian Hill Country Club and served on the Women's Auxiliary of Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Hospital.

Dr. Greely died on September 21, 1985.xci He had been a partner of Dr. John W. Curtin for twenty years. Greeley was a Member of the American Medical Association, the American College of Surgeons, the Chicago Surgical Society, the American Association of Plastic Surgeons, and the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. When Greeley passed away at the age of eighty-three years old, he was credited as having written more than one-hundred-and-twenty-five manuscripts and textbooks on reconstructive and plastic surgery.

After the Greeleys sold 545 Oak Street to Andrea G. Stone on December 20, 1961, she lived there until 1970 when Attorney J. William and Louise Holland purchased the house from her. Louise Holland is the current homeowner. Mrs. Holland served as a Village Trustee from 1992 to 1997 and as Winnetka Village President from 1997 to 2001.