
Pair of Michigan Avenue homes earn landmark status in Wilmette
Two Wilmette homes situated on a small but historically significant block near Lake Michigan are joining the town’s growing ranks of local landmarks.
Wilmette trustees during their Jan. 28 meeting approved a pair of ordinances designating two single-family homes on Michigan Avenue, 769 and 789, as local landmarks.
The duo of properties became the village’s 37th and 38th to receive landmark status, ensuring the storied homes will stand the test of time.
“This is the type of occasion we love,” said John Adler, Wilmette’s director of community development. “We are very thankful for these homeowners for landmarking their property.”
Three of the eight homes in the 700 block of Michigan Avenue now have local landmark status, Adler said.
The two properties approved for the designation Tuesday night join 735 Michigan Ave. — a property commonly known as the Bateman House — as local landmarks. The nearby Gillson Park was also recently added to the national register of historic places.
Adler told trustees on Jan. 28 that Wilmette’s Historic Preservation Commission reviewed the cases for both homes in December 2024 and unanimously voted to recommend approval of each.
The home at 769 Michigan Ave. was built in 1922 and was nominated as a local landmark under the criteria of an outstanding example of a style or period, Adler said. The architectural style/period it showcases is Mediterranean revival.
Well-known architect Ralph Stoetzel designed the home. During the 1940s, Stoetzel was the president of the Glencoe Park District, according to historical documents from the village. He was also a deacon at the Glencoe Union Church and lived in Glencoe until his death in 1970.
Stoetzel was known architecturally for many of the homes he designed in the North Shore, including several in the Indian Hill section of Wilmette and a Tudor revival home he designed on Brier Lane in Glencoe, per documents from the village.
Architect Arthur Howell Knox, who has several notable designs throughout nearby communities, designed the home at 789 Michigan. His most notable work is arguably his 1916 design of the Wilmette Masonic Temple, a structure on Central Avenue that has been converted into a residential development. Knox also designed several buildings in neighboring Evanston.
The home on Michigan Avenue was first owned by the KixMiller family, in 1922.
The property is also well-regarded because of the KixMiller family’s contributions to the area. Jean KixMiller, the daughter of original owners William and May, graduated from New Trier High School in 1943, according to documents from the Wilmette Historical Society.
Jean spent 40 years as an educator at New Trier, teaching classes in British history, AP Russian history, AP European history, and modern history from 1949 until her retirement in 1989, per village documents.
Wilmette Village President Senta Plunkett called the two properties “Wilmette treasures.”
“This is a great example for other members in our community to know this is an option and know that homes of significance can be saved,” Plunkett said. “ … We’re all very thrilled that you did.”
Trustee Kate Gjaja also applauded the current homeowners, Erika Gross and Tanja Chevalier, who were both present at the meeting, for taking the efforts of landmarking the homes.
“We know it takes time and effort, we know it takes research … but it’s really important to our community and we’re very grateful that you landmarked these homes,” Gjaja said.
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Martin Carlino
Martin Carlino is a co-founder and the senior editor who assigns and edits The Record stories, while also bylining articles every week. Martin is an experienced and award-winning education reporter who was the editor of The Northbrook Tower.