948 Hubbard St.

This beautiful Italianate house was built for James West, a Scottish-born grocery broker who immigrated to Montreal in before moving to Winnetka in 1869.

In addition to his career in the grocery business, West was a self-taught academic of sorts, filling his library at 948 Hubbard with books on all subjects and in many languages. He and his wife, Agnes, taught their 4 children to speak 5 languages from a young age.

In 1921, when James West passed away, his son, Roy, took over ownership of 948 Hubbard.

Roy West became a successful landscape architect after studying under the famed landscape architect Jens Jensen. He applied his talents to the gardens here at 948 Hubbard, creating a wildflower garden that was beloved by neighbors. Roy West lived in the house until the early 1940s.

In 1955, it was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Ezra Pugh, who did more to preserve this house than they likely ever intended. In 1974, a spark from the fireplace in the den caused a disastrous fire that led many to believe the house would be torn down. The Pughs, however, felt the house was “too precious” to be demolished, and instead put all their effort into restoring the interior.

The subsequent owners completed the Pugh’s vision for the restoration, which has been well preserved ever since.