The Oakton Historic District sits within a grid of busy streets, which draw the traffic – and attention – of the cozy South Evanston neighborhood.
Bounded by Oakton Street, Howard Street, Asbury Avenue and Ridge Avenue, the historic district is a “hidden gem” and remains unexplored by many members of the community, said Eden Juron Pearlmann, Executive Director of the Evanston History Center.
That’s why the historic center selected the neighborhood for the 2022 edition of the annual Mother’s Day walk, a 47-year popular tradition and the organization’s biggest fundraiser.
“The idea was to do something totally different and we were never there,” Pearlmann said.
The walk began on Mother’s Day weekend, but community members are invited to tour the area in their own time and purchase an informational brochure from the historic downtown website to learn more about the historic district.
In the past, the annual walk involved a tour of the interior of several private homes. This was a great opportunity to learn about the architecture, history, furniture and decor of other people’s homes, Pearlmann said.
However, the pandemic has forced the history center to rotate, and for the past two years, organizers have held a House Walk.-inin which community members examine the exterior of homes with a specific theme or located in a specific area.
The last couple of the Pandemic House Walk-in‘s already frequently visited downtown, and this year, organizers really wanted to highlight an area that hasn’t received the same attention, Pearlmann said.
The Oakton district is interesting because drivers are unlikely to pass through it as they travel to their final destination, Pearlmann said.
That’s because train tracks cut through the area, making it inefficient for North-South travel, she said. Drivers are much more likely to find themselves on the busiest streets bordering the neighborhood, she added.
According to the historic downtown booklet, the Oakton District consists of 336 buildings, most of which were built in the 1920s. These homes are a little newer than many of the homes in other historic neighborhoods that were built before. the turn of the 20th century, Pearlmann said.
Most of these houses are bungalows, a style of housing based on a British colonial adaptation of an Indian design, according to the booklet.
The Oakton district features different types of bungalows, including artisan-style bungalows created for a warmer climate; Chicago-style bungalows designed for a cooler climate; and Tudor-style bungalows, or the “Old English” style.
Other architectural styles displayed in the neighborhood include Tudor, Tudor Revival, Dutch Colonial Revival, Art Deco, Modern, and Italian Renaissance.
“There is a real concentration of architecturally interesting houses,” Pearlmann said. “And there are funny stories about the architects and developers, and how the neighborhood was sort of formed.”
The booklet delves into the history of several local landmarks, including Oakton Elementary School and the architects who designed these buildings. It also details the history of street names and some of its early settlers.
For many Evanston families, the historic downtown house walk has become a Mother’s Day staple, Pearlmann said.
“We are desperate to get back to people’s homes, but in the meantime, we want interesting offers,” she said. “This is our biggest fundraiser of the year, so we need the support of the people.”
