559 Oak

The beautiful Victorian house at 559 Oak was likely built by Austin Chamberlain in 1870 after he purchased the land from Artemas Carter. Carter built several Victorian investment properties in the village and it’s possible that he built this house before Chamberlain bought it in 1870. However, the land deed doesn’t mention a structure on the property, so it’s likely that Chamberlain built the house shortly after purchasing the land.

Like many early settlers, Chamberlain lived in Winnetka and worked downtown. He owned a dry goods store at 156 Washington in the 1870s. While he likely built the house at 559 Oak, he didn’t live here long. In 1872, he sold the house to Thomas E. and Julia Copelin.

Thomas Copelin was a prominent early settler who left an important legacy both locally and in the city. He was born in England in 1824 and joined the British army at a young age. In 1847, while stationed in South Africa, Thomas met Julia, a young French Canadian woman who was on vacation with friends. After a whirlwind romance, Julia decided to stay and the couple married on March 16, 1847. They lived in Cape Town for a few years before immigrating to the U. S., first living in New York before moving to Chicago in the early 1850s.

Once in Chicago, Copelin became one of the city’s very first photographers. As demand for portraits increased in the 1850s and 60s, Copelin became quite successful. Early in his career, he formed a partnership with Thomas Hine, who later became well-known as one of the first photographers to photograph Yellowstone National Park after it was established in 1872. Copelin later formed a partnership with his son, Alex Copelin.

He was also a talented land and cityscape photographer, a skill that served him well after the great Chicago Fire of 1871 likely destroyed his house and studio. Copelin spent days walking around the city, photographing the devastating destruction. His photos are some of the most important documentation we have of the aftermath of the fire. Many of those images are preserved in the WHS archives.

Like many who lost so much in the fire, Copelin moved out of the city, purchasing the house at 559 Oak in Winnetka in 1872. He and Julia became active members of the community, joining the Winnetka Literary Club and serving on the board of education. He also opened a studio in Winnetka and eventually reopened his studio in the city.

In an article published in 1907, the Chicago Tribune referred to Thomas Copelin as a “pioneer photographer” and declared him the “oldest photographer in Chicago.” He held onto that title until he died in Winnetka on June 6, 1913.

Thomas Copelin’s work not only documented early Chicago, the fire, and many of the city’s early movers and shakers, his work is also the reason that we now know what many prominent Winnetkans looked like. His portraits of several village presidents, business owners, and other community members are, in some cases, the only images we have of those individuals.

The house at 559 Oak also stands as a physical reminder of Thomas Copelin and his incredibly important work. Architectural historians believe that this Victorian house was likely originally built in the Italianate style. After the Copelins sold the house in the 1890s and moved to another house on Cherry, this house was remodeled and now better resembles the Federal Revival style. Still, much of the original structure remains as it did when the Copelins first settled in Winnetka.