Glencoe – A Gem on the North Shore
There sits Glencoe, just north of Winnetka, south of Highland Park. It is a smaller community, some 8,762 souls according to the 2000 Census. But just as the other communities we have highlighted in our North Shore Home Advisors blog, this village has a rich history that has molded its character of today.
Back in the days of a wilder Chicago (have you read “Devil in White City” yet? You’ll know what I mean!), one Anson Taylor decided he needed some fresh air and peaceful days for his family; so he packed up and started exploring the shores of Lake Michigan to the north of Chicago. The year was 1835, and this young entrepreneur settled on a bluff overlooking the lake with his wife. Several children and a post office and a hostel and a general store later, Taylorsport became a waystation for travelers headed north, and west. Logging came to Taylorsport, and its pier was crucial in the transport of cord wood back to the big city a few miles to the south. Farmers came to Glencoe as well. We know the train lines were starting to run north to Milwaukee, and the travelers needed way stations, and the trains needed wood for their engines. Taylorsport would have been a natural site for a station, but the wise Anson Taylor denied the train lines any land on which to build a station as long as he could; a train station would have drained his stagecoach way station business!
But it was impossible to stop Progress. A wealthy retired physician, Alexander Hammond, became enchanted with the natural beauty of the young community and simply bought up some 520 prime acres of land with the intention of building a planned town. And he did just that! By 1869, the community was incorporated as “Glencoe” with some 150 residents. And now Glencoe boasts about the talented and famous folk who have either grown up there, or lived there: poet Archibald MacLeish, actors Bruce Dern and Lili Taylor, the “Hoover” in vacuum cleaners, advertising mogul Leo Burnett, and Judge James Wilkerson who put Al Capone in a compromised residence (that is to say, jail).
There sits Glencoe, just north of Winnetka, south of Highland Park. It is a smaller community, some 8,762 souls according to the 2000 Census. But just as the other communities we have highlighted in our North Shore Home Advisors blog, this village has a rich history that has molded its character of today.
Back in the days of a wilder Chicago (have you read “Devil in White City” yet? You’ll know what I mean!), one Anson Taylor decided he needed some fresh air and peaceful days for his family; so he packed up and started exploring the shores of Lake Michigan to the north of Chicago. The year was 1835, and this young entrepreneur settled on a bluff overlooking the lake with his wife. Several children and a post office and a hostel and a general store later, Taylorsport became a waystation for travelers headed north, and west. Logging came to Taylorsport, and its pier was crucial in the transport of cord wood back to the big city a few miles to the south. Farmers came to Glencoe as well. We know the train lines were starting to run north to Milwaukee, and the travelers needed way stations, and the trains needed wood for their engines. Taylorsport would have been a natural site for a station, but the wise Anson Taylor denied the train lines any land on which to build a station as long as he could; a train station would have drained his stagecoach way station business!
But it was impossible to stop Progress. A wealthy retired physician, Alexander Hammond, became enchanted with the natural beauty of the young community and simply bought up some 520 prime acres of land with the intention of building a planned town. And he did just that! By 1869, the community was incorporated as “Glencoe” with some 150 residents. And now Glencoe boasts about the talented and famous folk who have either grown up there, or lived there: poet Archibald MacLeish, actors Bruce Dern and Lili Taylor, the “Hoover” in vacuum cleaners, advertising mogul Leo Burnett, and Judge James Wilkerson who put Al Capone in a compromised residence (that is to say, jail).
(Hollis Root house at 1030 Meadow Road, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright)
Visit Glencoe today and enjoy the varied architectural styles of its homes: the Ravine Bluffs subdivision from the genius of Frank Lloyd Wright, Tudor, Colonial, 1950’s Keck & Keck subdivision characterized by flat roofs and skylights, bi- and tri-levels, and into the glass and metal contemporaries of the 1970’s. New construction homes are also part of the residential fiber. Glencoe has a strong commitment to its architectural history, and empowers its Historic Preservation Committee which designates and certifies landmark homes on the basis of historical or architectural significance.
Downtown Glencoe is charming, and no parking meters deter the avid shopper or errand-runner. The public library on Park Avenue feels more like somebody’s elegant living room than a public gathering place. There are many specialty shops, banks, and eateries to satisfy every palate. (Enjoy a leisurely meal at “An Apple a Day,” one of our favorites.) And today there most assuredly is a train station for the commuters who enjoy a Metra ride to the city instead of driving their car. Is golf your passion? Glencoe wants you to know about the 18-hole course right in town. And the most lovely spot to spend a day anywhere in Chicagoland is the Chicago Botanical Gardens, located at the edge of the Edens Expressway at 1000 Lake Cook Road. A very special upcoming event at the Gardens is the Antiques and Garden Fair, April 20-22. Here is a link to the details. http://www.chicagobotanic.org/antiques/
Families with school-age children are pleased with their education choices: public schools that feed to New Trier High School, or private schools such as North Shore Country Day School in neighboring Winnetka.
Single family homes that are currently on the market in Glencoe range in price from $499,900 to $10,995,000 (a 2-acre restored 1930’s estate, with 9 bedrooms and 9 ½ bathrooms). Need something in a condo or townhouse? Glencoe has it all – condos from $196,000 and townhomes up to $839,900.
We hope this brief overview of Glencoe is enough to pique your curiosity about this lovely village. Come spend a day in Glencoe and expect to be charmed.
2 comments:
A question about the students who attend New Trier High School, but live in towns other than Winnetka: how do they get to school on a daily basis? Bus? Car? (and where do they park, if they are allowed to drive to school?) I know the Metra station is near the high school at Green Bay Road. Does a family with kids, shopping for a home, try to live as close as possible to the high school? Thanks.
There are a variety of ways a student can arrive on time at New Trier. Very few are lucky enough to live within walking distance - While families want to be close to the school they must also deal with heavier traffic and the beginning and end of the school day. Many parents actually drive their teenagers to and from school and deal with the traffic surrounding both the East and West Campus. Students can also sign up for the public school bus - there are a number of routes throughout each town. The metra bus system provides transportation on Green Bay Road to the East campus. Fewer metra buses are available to the West campus, but at least one bus is available at the beginning and end of the school day. Finally, if one resides close enough to take the Metra commuter train, there is a train stop at Indian Hill Station, just 2 blocks away from the East campus. Many students also drive to the East campus, and a lottery is held for those coveted parking spaces. Some students rent or receive permission from homeowners to park in nearby driveways. Street parking is prohibited until 10 a.m. within several blocks of the East Winnetka campus.
Post a Comment