550 Oak

The charming Dutch Colonial at 550 Oak is associated with several significant homeowners, including its original homeowner, Frank E. Herdman.

Herdman was born in Chicago in 1862. After receiving his degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois in 1889, he returned to Chicago to work as an engineer designing and constructing bridges. In 1896, Herdman and his wife Mary moved to Winnetka and built their family’s home at 550 Oak. While we don’t know for sure, it is possible that Herdman may have designed the house himself.

Shortly after moving to Winnetka, Herdman was elected president of the village, a position he held from 1899 to 1902. Herdman was essential in the development of several important improvements in the village in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Specifically, with his engineering expertise, Herdman helped the village convert to electricity. He also helped organize the Winnetka Park District and oversaw the operation of the first telephones in the village.

In 1923, the Herdmans sold their home at 550 Oak to Forest Lowrey, who sold it to Dr. Clara Marie Davis in 1937. Dr. Davis was quite an interesting figure. She was born in Lansing, MI in 1878 and was one of the first women to graduate from the University of Michigan’s Department of Medicine and Surgery when she received her degree in 1904. During WWI, Dr. Davis served overseas with the Red Cross, helping wounded soldiers in France. She eventually moved to the Chicago area and began working at the Children’s Memorial Hospital.

Throughout the 1920s and 30s, Dr. Davis found everlasting medical fame for conducting experiments in allowing children to choose their own diets. She believed that children’s bodies instinctively knew best and that they would, over time, choose the best foods for their own bodies.

In order to undergo these experiments, she convinced 15 unmarried and/or widowed teenage mothers to place their newly-weaned infants in an “eating-experiment orphanage” in Chicago. She monitored the children’s eating choices, as well as their overall health, for months and, in some cases, up to 4.5 years.

According to the National Institute of Health, the findings from her experiments “changed the world of child feeding,” though, as you can imagine, both her methods and findings have been consistently questioned by medical professionals ever since. Despite any skepticism, Dr. Davis’ experiments are still considered groundbreaking and still have an enormous impact on doctor-recommended diets for children today.

In 1937, Dr. Davis purchased the Dutch Colonial home at 550 Oak for herself and her two adopted sons. While continuing her work in the city, she also began seeing patients out of her office within the home. After an incredible life and career, she died of Hodgkin’s disease on April 8, 1959.

The house at 550 Oak is not only notable for its association with a former village president and renowned doctor, but also for its design. The house has a gambrel roof, which is generally the most notable feature of Dutch Revival designs. The house also has few elaborate details and multi-pane windows with exterior shutters, both of which are characteristic elements of Dutch Revival designs.