Introduction

The Oak Circle Historic District is being nominated to the National Register under Criterion C for Architecture, as a group of houses in Wilmette that embody architectural elements associated with the early twentieth century Arts and Crafts Movement in America. Furthermore, the grouping exhibits evidence that its creation was the work of a single builder or perhaps a collaboration of very like-minded individuals. Twelve of the houses are bungalows, a house type very closely associated with the Arts and Crafts Movement. 1 Fourteen of the fifteen houses exhibit a high degree of detailing from the Craftsman style, and the majority has Prairie-style detailing as well. Numerous features of these two styles are repeated over and over in many of the homes. For example, there is the use of brick on the lower story and wood on the upper story and under the gables, the prolific use of vertical, casement-style, art-glass windows and box-like, bay-window projections, and decorative brackets in the eaves and also to hold flower boxes. Although other examples of these two styles are found in Wilmette, this is the only cohesive grouping of such styles. This high degree of unity in architecture as a group and the definitive representation of styles associated with the Arts and Crafts Movement make the Oak Circle Historic District a very unique architectural resource to the community that is worthy of recognition. The period of significance is circa 1919 when the first houses were built to circa 1927 when the last contributing garage was constructed.

History and Growth of Wilmette

The history and growth of Wilmette is and has always been intrinsically linked with Chicago and the railroad. Incorporated in 1872 it followed the foundation of many of the North Shore communities such as Evanston 1857, Lake Forest 1859, and Winnetka 1869. 2 These and all of the communities between Chicago and Waukegan share a history of early suburbia.

Before the railroad, the shore of Lake Michigan served as a natural path for trade. The Native Americans and later settlers both followed the 250 miles trail known as the Green Bay Trail. 3 Its bent trees that served as guide markers can still be found in the Village. 4 The trail stretched from Green Bay, WI to Chicago, IL.

Beginning in 1848, Chicago became the outpost and the hub of the railroad for the growing west. 5 The railroad allowed Chicago to overtake its rival to the south, Saint Louis, to become the focus for expansion and growth into the interior of the nation. It became the leading market for grain, lumber and meat packing by the 1850’s. 6 It was not until 1855, however, that the railroad would open up the northern shore of Lake Michigan to urban development.

Wilmette had initially been settled by Antoine and Archange Ouilmette. The land extending from present day Elmwood Avenue to Central Street in Evanston was given to Archange and her children as the Ouilmette Reservation in recognition of to the help of Antoine in the creation of the Treaty of Prairie du Chien. 7 Despite this early inroad by the white settlers in 1829, Wilmette and the North Shore remained sparsely settled until the railroad penetrated into the area.

On January 1, 1855 the first train ran from Chicago to Waukegan. In June of the same year the line was liked to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 8 With the railroad came the foundation of the suburbs that now dot the shoreline of Lake Michigan. These suburbs were early in the history of Chicago and their settlement and architecture stems from the influence of the entrepreneurs who saw them as a healthy escape from the urban squalor that a short train ride could provide.

The settlement of Wilmette is directly linked in inception to the railroad. Although lands had been sold from the original reservation a true settlement was not developed until it was established that the train would stop in the infant community. The importance of the railroad was its ability to attract settlers with the promise of regular transportation to and from Chicago. 9 The 1880s and 1890’s saw a substantial growth in the Village of Wilmette. The 1890’s also saw the expansion of rail service into the Village as the Bluff City Electric Street Railway was connected to C.M & St. Paul trains to Chicago. Its route turned east to a station on Forth Street and Linden; the present day site of the El station in Wilmette. 10 The increase in access to Chicago meant an increase in the commuter population for the Village The affect that the railroads had on Wilmette is especially showing in the population growth. The population of the Village was 1,500 in 1880. In contrast, by 1920 it had increased five fold to 7,814. 11

To meet this influx of settlers the Village began planning and building for the future. Using Evanston and other similar suburbs as a model, it was estimated that by 1940 that the population of Wilmette would number 29,000. 12 To provide for this growth the Plan Commission published recommendations for the Village. These included street improvements, upgrading public lighting, the foundation of parks, and the suggestion of annexing the westward farming community of Gross Point. All of this growth meant an increased demand for affordable housing within the Village.

The Bungalow Boom

At the turn of the century, industrialization in America was contributing to an unprecedented growth in the nation’s middle class. 13 Modes of public transportation, such as the electric trolley and, in Wilmette’s case, the railroad were being expanded, allowing families to consider escaping the confines of the downtown areas of cities to the new neighborhoods on the fringe. 14 The type of housing that rose to meet the needs of this group had its roots in British Colonialism and initial growth in the vacation architecture of the upper classes. 15 It was called the “bungalow,” originating from the Bengali word “bangla,” meaning “low house with porches all around.” 16 This type of house became the most popular at the time, having the chief attributes for which the middle class was looking: it was adequate for a small family, it could fit on a small lot, and it was affordable. 17 Best of all, it belonged to its residents. The American ideal of home-ownership was being realized as never before and increased by 4.7 million households (100%) in the first twenty years of the twentieth century, bringing with it a newfound level of respectability and privacy. 18 19

The bungalow also had many economic features that contributed to its appeal. Being limited to one story was an economic use of space, as stairs were not necessary and connecting corridors were minimized. Plumbing was concentrated on a single level and, thus, was less expensive to install. Heating a one-story home was less costly, as heat did not escape to upper stories. The arrangement of interior space on one floor in an open fashion made the house seem large and roomy to its occupants. 20

Changes in the market economy were also factors contributing to the popularity of the bungalow. Domestic activities were moving out of the house and allowing households to rely less on servants. The availability of bread and canned goods at grocery stores, along with the rise in department stores, commercial laundries, and public schools were drawing some women into the labor market and influencing a gradual shift to smaller, more efficient houses. 21

On the supply side of the market equation, the bungalow business became a booming industry. Plans for building bungalows became widely available from a variety of sources, including many popular magazines. 22 Catalog books such s Radford’s Artistic Bungalows and Wilson’s California Bungalow were but a few of those that enabled the prospective homeowner to choose from a variety of plans and specifications for a nominal fee, with material lists and consulting advice available at additional cost. 23 , 24 With the addition of a local builder and a piece of land, a home that suited its owners was never before so easily achieved at such minimal cost.

It wasn’t long before entire kits, including not only plans but also all necessary materials, were being sold by such catalog giants as Sears, Roebuck and Company, and Montgomery Ward, which enabled do-it-yourselfers to build their own homes, often times with help from local contractors. 25 The mail-order business was instrumental in the bungalow’s appearance in all areas of the country, and Sears and others promoted the idea of one-stop shopping, setting up local outlets where one could not only order a house, but obtain financing, too. 26 Sears alone was responsible for producing more than 50,000 bungalows between 1908-1940, which accounted for half of their total home sales during that time. 27

The booming bungalow business also benefited entrepreneurs. Developers and builders supplied with the available plan books and a large parcel of land could make a good living selling bungalows. 28 Tracts of land were promoted for bungalow development in all areas of the country, and in places such as California and Florida, the development is comparable to the tract-house phenomenon that took place in this country after World War II. 29 The proliferation of one type of housing across America inspired popular culture to embrace it as the subject of songs and poetry, such as Stillwell & Co.’s “There’s a Little Side Street…” (Appendix D) and Burgess Johnson’s “ The Bungle-Ode” (Appendix E), which are but two of many such examples. 30

Bungalows were built in a variety of architectural styles, including English Tudor, English Cottage, Swiss Chalet, Colonial Revival, Prairie, and Mission, but by far the largest amount were built in what became known as Craftsman style. 31 This style of bungalow was strongly associated with the Arts and Crafts Movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, which coincided with the bungalow’s rise to prominence. The Craftsman style exhibited a very large range of variations, which sometimes was influenced by location in the country. For example, in California, where the bungalow craze began, Craftsman Style was also sometimes called California Style, and typically exhibited wide overhanging eaves and the use of earth tones on the exterior, which tied the house to the natural landscape. 32 In Chicago, another variation developed that was long and narrow (in order to fit on the conventional city lot), built primarily of brick, and featured a very liberal use of art glass in its windows, an influence of the Prairie School on its Midwestern surroundings. 33

Influence on Early 20th Century Architecture

The Arts and Crafts Movement: The Arts and Crafts Movement began in England in the mid-nineteenth century in response to the effects of industrialization. Voices began to speak out against what was viewed as vulgarity and tastelessness in the design of furniture, ceramics, textiles, and other decorative arts. The use of mechanization allowed markets to be flooded with cheap products of questionable design and shoddy construction. 34 Critics found fault not only with the quality of the items, but the diminished quality of life experienced by the factory workers that toiled to make these products. 35 One important early voice for reform was John Ruskin, a philosophical art critic and Professor at Oxford. Ruskin wrote two influential books, The Seven Lamps of Architecture (1849) and The Stones of Venice (1851, 1853). In his writings he advocated a return to morality through craftsmanship and felt that the Gothic style embodied the elements allowing craftsmanship to realize its highest potential in terms of creating both beauty and the high degree of personal satisfaction that came from the process of its creation. 36

Ruskin’s writings were very inspirational to others, and had a particular impact on a young English visionary named William Morris, a poet, designer, craftsman, and social reformer who is sometimes credited as the Arts and Crafts Movement’s most influential figure. 37 Morris put Ruskin’s ideas to the test and formed a collaboration of like-minded individuals who, after successfully completing the construction and décor of Morris’ own residence, Red House, established a collective business that would preserve craft skills as part of a commercial endeavor. 38 This collective business, which began in 1861, became known as Morris and Company, and it was well regarded for its quality work until 1940, when it finally dissolved. 39 Morris and Company employed some of England’s best artists and craftsmen, utilizing the near-obsolete idea of apprenticeships, and its success in creating not only beautiful things but in elevating the lives of the makers of those things did not go unnoticed in England or abroad. 40 By the late 1800s, Arts and Crafts societies had organized across the United States with exhibitions to promote the artists’ work, and art and design journals both in Europe and the U. S. carried the Arts and Crafts philosophy to the masses. 41

Gustav Stickley and The Craftsman One of the central figures of the Arts and Crafts Movement in the United States was Gustav Stickley. Born into a Wisconsin farm family in the 1850’s, he learned both stone masonry and furniture making from members of his family, and he worked in his early career alongside his brothers in the furniture production industry. 42 By the mid-1890s, influenced by the writings and endeavors of Ruskin and Morris, he started his own furniture company, and by 1901 he began to publish a monthly magazine, The Craftsman. 43

Stickley’s magazine was produced for about fifteen years, and became a prominent voice for promoting the artistic ideals of the Arts and Crafts Movement. 44 In addition, it became a forum to promote incorporating these ideas into a way of living and working, a way of building and designing a home, and a way of furnishing such a home. 45 Stickley referred to these ways as being “Craftsman” ways, and in each case promoted the three principles of the American version of the Arts and Crafts philosophy: simplicity, harmony with nature, and using a high level of craftsmanship. 46

The legacy of Gustav Stickley’s influence on architecture is evident in that we now identify certain houses from that early twentieth century period as being “Craftsman” style. To what extent Stickley perceived his influence is not known, but in 1912 he wrote:

The houses we identify as Craftsman style today share features such as low-pitched, gabled roofs, an emphasis on a horizontal design, exposed eaves with visible rafter tails, decorative beams or braces under the gables, and porches with roof supports consisting of tapered square columns. 48 Interior details of these homes include an open floor plan, built-in furniture, and a fireplace, usually prominently located and symbolic of the importance of hearth and home. 49 The Craftsman style was the style most prevalent for smaller homes (bungalows) from 1905-1920s. 50

Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School: The Arts and Crafts Movement was having an impact on architecture in other ways, too. In California, Charles and Henry Greene were developing a high-style approach incorporating Arts and Crafts principles. In the Midwest, Frank Lloyd Wright, perhaps the twentieth century’s best-known American architect, was the principal figure behind the Prairie style, which also was developed at approximately the same time that the Arts and Crafts movement arrived in America. 51 Wright and other significant architects of the Prairie school were among the first members of the Chicago Arts and Crafts Society, established in 1897. 52 It is probably more than a coincidence that the ideology that guided Wright in his work – simplicity, utility, sympathy with the environment, and use of natural materials - virtually echoes that which influenced Gustav Stickley. 53 Wright is not considered one of the mainstream Arts and Crafts figures, as he had some differing ideas; however, his influence was widely felt. 54 The designs of the Prairie style share many of the same characteristics that went into the Craftsman style houses built during the same period: free-flowing interior spaces, the central significance of the fireplace, the use of built-in furniture, and the horizontal emphasis of the structures themselves. 55 Many Prairie style houses also feature bands of windows grouped together, often times containing art glass with geometric designs. 56

Summary of Significance:

A variety of the factors reviewed played a role in the development of Oak Circle Historic District. The growth of Wilmette, along with other outlying areas around Chicago, was contributing to increasing land values at the time. 57 The availability of land parcels offered economic opportunities to developers. The attached map from 1906 (Appendix F) shows a trapezium of land, which would eventually become Oak Circle and the northeast side of Klein Street (later renamed Prairie Avenue), before it was platted into twenty lots by Joseph Woodruff in 1907.

At that time the United States was experiencing changes that increased the demand for a specific type of housing, the bungalow, to meet the needs of the rising middle class around cities and towns nationwide. 58 The houses and many of the garages on Oak Circle, according to available records, were built between circa 1919-1924, when the bungalow boom was still in full swing. 59, 60 The earliest built of the fifteen houses are all bungalows, and all are built in the Craftsman style, reflecting the influence of Gustav Stickley and the Arts and Crafts Movement between 1901-1916. 61 Interestingly, rather than strictly following the Chicago twist on the Craftsman Style, the Oak Circle bungalows exhibit features often found in the California vernacular version, including low-pitched roofs with exposed eaves and multiple gables; a combination of natural materials on the exterior, including wood, brick, and stone; varied floor plans and roof lines, including the “airplane bungalow;” and high-style decorative elements such as half-timbering and decorative brackets in the roof gables and for flower boxes. 62, 63 It is also important to note that the architecturally significant garages on Oak Circle are complimentary in design to their respective houses. There is one prominent feature that demonstrates a connection to Chicago and the Prairie School, however, and that is the liberal use of bands of vertical art-glass windows. 64

The houses built from 1922-24 (332, 340, 344 and 350) reflect a shift from straight Craftsman styling to a more eclectic approach, incorporating more features from some of the historical revival styles, including a two-story floor plan, as those styles gained in popularity. 65 However, even these homes are tied to the others with features such as bands of art-glass windows, decorative brackets in the roof gables and to hold flower boxes, and the choices and arrangement of materials used on the exteriors.

The architectural unity of these houses suggests that one builder, A. W. Dickinson, was involved in the construction of all of the houses. Dickinson’s name is found on the majority of the available building permit records, and those that lack permits show a number of common features that would be very unusual to find in homes by different builders. These features include such specific details as common patterns in the art-glass windows and brickwork. This also suggests that Dickinson had a relationship with one architect or perhaps that he obtained the plans for the houses from one source, such as one of the many house-plan books or catalogs available at that time to the residential market. 66

Over the years, some of the houses have been slightly altered, but fourteen of fifteen retain enough integrity to contribute to Wilmette’s historical and architectural heritage. 67 This integrity remains intact to the present time. The bungalows in the group are unique to the Village in their unified departure from the typical Chicago-style formula, which tends to be constructed of brick and cut stone and have less complex roofs. 68, 69 This formula is much more commonly found in the outskirts of Chicago and its early suburbs, including Wilmette. 70 Finally, there are no other groupings of houses exhibiting such strong detailing from the Arts and Crafts Movement with such a high level of integrity in Wilmette. As such, the Oak Circle Historic District is a valuable resource to the community from both an architectural and educational perspective and is a worthy candidate for recognition by the National Register of Historic Places.