530 Willow

The Victorian house at 530 Willow was likely built in the early to mid-1870s. The first known residents were Charles and Caroline Lensing, who purchased the property with the house already built in 1879.

Like many early settlers, both the Lensings were born in Germany (Charles in 1824 and Caroline in 1833). It’s unclear when they immigrated to the U.S., but we know that by 1870, the couple were married and living in Evanston with three daughters. In 1879, they made the move from Evanston to Winnetka, purchasing this charming house at 530 Willow.

While living in the village, Charles worked as a shoemaker. Unfortunately, his time in Winnetka was quite short – he died in 1884, just five years after they arrived. Caroline remained in the house with her daughters until she passed away in 1899.

After their deaths, Charles and Caroline’s daughter Anna and her husband Otto Wernecke, a local real estate man, inherited the home and lived here for the next 20 years. The Wernecke’s had a few children, including their son Louie. “Little Louie,” as he was known, was infamous amongst the neighbors for blowing tin cans “sky high” in the middle of the street in front of the house every 4th of July. He later became a pharmacist.

After the Lensing/Wernecke family sold the house, it has changed hands several times and undergone several renovations. An addition was put on in the 1930s, and in 1966, the homeowners hired well-known architect Francis Stanton to remodel the house. Subsequent homeowners recognized the historic value of the house and in 1982, renovated the house again in order to restore the original Victorian character of the home, which is very much apparent today.