352 Linden

The beautiful Victorian at 352 Linden is one of four Victorian houses built by John T. Dale on Linden and Ridge in Winnetka.*

Born in England in 1841, John Dale immigrated to the US in 1849, first living in Salem, Wisconsin before settling in Chicago in 1862. In Chicago, Dale studied law while working as a clerk in an attorney’s office. In 1865, he became a lawyer focusing on real estate law. In 1870, Dale married Leila W. Graves and moved to Winnetka.

By 1872, Dale had started investing in local real estate. He purchased a large swath of land just south of Willow Road with the intent of developing it into a housing subdivision. That year, he built his own home within the subdivision at 352 Linden. Records indicate that Dale hired his father, Thomas, to build his home. Thomas was a master carpenter who was highly skilled as both an architect and builder.

While living in Winnetka, both Dale’s law and real estate careers flourished, and he eventually became the head of his own law firm. He also helped plat much of the Village of Winnetka, and is credited with naming many of its streets. In addition, Dale was accomplished as a writer and local government leader. He wrote a book on morals for young men, which became required reading for New Trier boys. He also served as president of the Village of Winnetka three times – from 1873 to 1874, 1876 to 1877, and 1887 to 1888.

In 1882, Dale sold the house at 352 Linden, but he didn’t go far. He moved within his first subdivision one block west to a similar Italianate house he had built at 352 Ridge. The Dales lived at 352 Ridge for over 20 years before moving back to Chicago around 1905. Sadly, 352 Ridge was demolished in 1967.

The house at 352 Linden changed hands several times before it was purchased by Edward C. Kohler in 1906. Like Dale, Kohler was Village president, serving in the position from 1906 to 1907.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any early photos of 352 Linden, so we can’t be certain if any early alterations were made. That said, because the 1914 Sanborn Fire Insurance map shows the house with roughly its current size and layout, it’s likely that it appears much today as it originally did.

Perhaps the most significant alteration to the exterior occurred in 1930 when the front porch was then enclosed. In 1979, several of the interior rooms were renovated. Still, most elements of the house likely remain in their original form. The Italianate detailed trim around the roofline remains as it did in 1872. In addition, the house still maintains the signature Italianate cupola on the roof.

*In addition to 352 Linden and 352 Ridge, Dale built a third Italianate home at 326 Ridge, as well as the Gothic Victorian at 328 Linden.