594 Elm

The Victorian Gothic at 594 Elm was designed for Samuel and Mary Shackford in 1872 by L. Lyeman, an architect with an office at 594 Wabash in Chicago. Samuel Shackford was an interesting and accomplished man by the time he died in the home in 1908.

Born in Eastport Maine in 1821, Samuel, a relative of Abraham Lincoln, became a sea captain at an early age. In 1851, he married Mary Tinkham and, two years later, moved to Chicago.

Like many Chicagoans, the Shackfords lost their home in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. They moved into the house at 608 Elm in Winnetka, presuming the move would be temporary until the city recovered from the disaster. The Shackfords fell in love with the newly-founded Village, however, and decided to purchase the land next door from Artemas Carter to build their own permanent home.

After the house was built, the Shackfords settled into life in Winnetka and were active members of the community. Samuel served as police magistrate for many years, and served as Village President in 1877. Notably, their daughter, Elizabeth Lincoln Shackford, married architect William Otis, and they lived down the street at 644 Oak.

594 Elm remains one of the best preserved older houses in Winnetka. Many of the original Victorian Gothic elements remain today, including the gingerbread scrollwork on the porch and above the windows, the carved decorative bargeboards and eaves around the roofline, and the vertical wooden clapboard siding. These decorative features elevate this house from its otherwise largely vernacular Victorian structure.

Because of its unique style and history, 594 Elm became Winnetka’s first Local Landmark in 2010.