381 Poplar

The house at 381 Poplar was first built in 1888 by Carl and Johanna Mack after they purchased the land from Riley Graves.

Several members of the Mack family made important contributions to the village. Carl and Johanna were both born in Germany in the mid-1850s. Carl immigrated to the U.S. in 1881 and married Johanna two years later. By 1884, the couple had settled in Winnetka in a house located where New Trier High School is now. They went on to have three children – August, Elsa, and Mildred.

While living in Winnetka, Carl started working as a cement contractor. His timing was quite ideal – shortly after the Macks settled here, officials decided to pave the village’s sidewalks and in 1886, hired Carl for the job.

With the success of his cement business, the Macks were able to purchase this land and build their home at 381 Poplar. In the early 1900s, the Macks also built the house next door at 535 Willow as a rental property to supplement their income.

After Johanna died on New Year’s Eve in 1905, Carl continued living in the house with his daughters until his death in 1935. The youngest daughter, Mildred, remained in this house until her death in 1962, meaning that the Macks lived at 381 Poplar for 74 years.

Born in the house at 381 Poplar, Mildred Mack was a lifelong resident and was very involved in the community. She graduated from New Trier in 1912 and worked for the Post Office for a few years before joining the Community Chest when it was founded in 1933. She served as the executive secretary of the Winnetka Community Chest for 29 years. She was also a member of the North Shore Art League and belonged to the Congregational Church.

Since the Mildred Mack died, the house at 381 Poplar has undergone several changes, including a head to toe renovation in 2005.