Cook Park is the historical and modern center of Libertyville. The site of the first permanent dwelling in what would become the village of Libertyville, today the park welcomes visitors on a daily basis. On any given day one will see children frolicking on the playground, teens hanging out with their friends, families gathering for a picnic, or a solitary person reading on a bench. Community events held in and around Cook Park such as the Farmers Market, Car Fun on 21, Lunch in the Park, Festival of the Arts, Libertyville Band concerts, Libertyville Days and the annual tree lighting, draw residents and visitors alike to the downtown.
Operated by the Libertyville-Mundelein Historical Society, the Ansel B. Cook Home, an 1878 home listed on the National Register of Historic Places, features two floors of Victorian-era furnishings and artifacts. The building served as the Cook Memorial Public Library from 1921 until 1968.
The Cook Park Library of the Cook Memorial Public Library District is tucked away behind the Ansel B. Cook Home and Museum at the west edge of Cook Park. The library building was constructed in 1968 by A. W. Heinsom & Co. and design by architects Cone and Dornbusch. The original library building was 14,000 square feet of usable space on one level, with basement space for meetings and future expansion. Today, after renovations and additions, the library is 46,120 square feet. The library had several homes before this building, including a drug store, the village hall, and a Victorian home, but it has always been at the heart of the village.
The 501-505 building has been a vital part of the fabric of Libertyville throughout its existence. Built by the Lake County Bank in 1894 in a prominent business district location, the brick building originally provided two first floor storefronts and a second story flat. A varied array of businesses have come and gone from north storefront and the second level, but the establishments with the longest tenure occupied the corner storefront at 501. In 1923, the bank completed a new state-of-the-art facility and moved next door to 507 N. Milwaukee Avenue. Titus Brothers Electrical Contractors bought the building and began a more than 50-year run in the corner spot. In 1982, the Picnic Basket Restaurant established themselves in the corner store and became a mainstay in the Libertyville restaurant community. Their recently completed expansion and restoration of the structure has assured that Lake County Bank building will continue well into the next century.
This temple front commercial building was completed in 1923 to house the Lake County National Bank. The bank, formerly headquartered next door at 501-505 N. Milwaukee, sought to construct a state-of-the-art facility, with modern conveniences and architecture that featured classical motifs, a combination befitting its status as a secure, growing financial institution. The bank was housed at this site for nearly 50 years, through mergers and several interior renovations, until it moved around the corner to a larger site in 1968. The next year, Modine Manufacturing took over the building, replacing the pediment and columns with a modernist facade. In 1987, new owners restored the building to its former classical appearance, and in 1995, it returned to its roots as the home of Libertyville Bank & Trust.
This location, 515 N Milwaukee Avenue, has been the site of many businesses over the years. As early as 1927, a store called The Soda Shop occupied this space, soon followed by Lew Flagg’s barber shop. In July of 1931, it was, out with the old and in with the new! Leslie Ulrich of Mundelein was hired to build a 26 by 125-foot store at this location for the Consumer’s Sanitary Coffee and Butter Store. Over the course of the next 89 years, this store has been the home of nearly 10 different commercial enterprises, including today’s occupant, Firkin.
M. B. Colby & Co. was one of the earliest businesses to operate in the 519 N. Milwaukee Avenue building which was completed in 1883. W. W. Carroll & Son, another mercantile establishment, followed. Later enterprises included drugstores, a utility service center and an appliance-variety shop. The building was modernized in 1964, remodeled to restore a historic look in 1984 and a two-story rear addition was constructed in 1997. The current tenant is The Tavern, a steakhouse and lounge, which opened in 1983.
This two-story brick commercial block building was erected in 1883 by longtime Libertyville businessman Isaac Heath. The first floor housed his furniture and undertaking business. The second floor was rented to Libertyville Masonic Lodge #492, of which Heath was an active member. Emblazoned with "Isaac Heath 1883," the original cornice was topped by a pediment at center featuring the Masonic square and compass symbol. (This cornice was removed sometime in the mid-20th century and later replaced.) Over the years, this business block housed stores selling a diverse array of wares, including dry goods, groceries, rugs, outdoor supplies, phones, and gifts. It has also served as a billiards hall and, mostly recently as of 2020, as a salon.
Built in 1940, this streamlined, stone front store replaced the old Heath residence thereby creating an unbroken line of shops on the west side of Milwaukee Avenue from Cook Avenue to Lake Street. Two commercial spaces were created here. The south portion of the building was occupied by Langworthy’s Department Store, while the north housed the relocated A&P Grocery Store. Langworthy’s had occupied a number of other buildings on Milwaukee Avenue since starting the business in 1911 as a general store and soda fountain. This location served as Langworthy’s home from 1940 until the business closed in 2000.
Although appearing to be a single edifice, the Queen Anne style commercial block at 535-541 N. Milwaukee Avenue is actually two buildings. Today (2020), Charles & Minerva and Touche Salon occupy the Warren M. Heath building while Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory occupies the William Walrond Building. Heath, a furniture maker and undertaker, and Walrond, a proprietor of a meat and grocery market, constructed these commercial buildings in 1903, providing additional space for growing, established Libertyville businesses. A bowling alley and billiards room, a department store, a pharmacy, a shoe store, a gift store, and an art gallery are some of the businesses to fill the storefronts over the years.
The Rittner Building, also known as Lester’s Tavern and later the Tap and Tote, has a colorful history. Located at 545 N. Milwaukee Avenue, it was built by John Rittner in 1905. It originally had storefront space, second story living quarters and a separate large barn behind the property. Upon completion Mr. Rittner and his wife occupied the building and opened a saloon. Little information is available for these early years, but his business appeared intact until Libertyville went dry in 1914 and liquor raids forced Rittner to close. After Prohibition John W. Lester opened a tavern in the building that stayed in his family for at least 27 years. Another tavern, Tap N Tote, opened in the space in the 1970s and also became a local hangout. A variety of later businesses included a string of music shops from the 1980s to the early 2000s. For many years the building underwent only minor alterations. In 1995 a portion of the rear building was demolished and a one story rear addition with a secondary storefront was constructed. Although the building has been upgraded, it still retains original historic configurations and elements such as the storefront cornice and window surrounds. An original section of wall can be viewed from the south walkway. The current occupant is the Milwalky Trace restaurant.
Frederick Louis Jochheim, a German immigrant who moved to Libertyville from Chicago and opened a bakery in 1903, built the structure at 547-551 N. Milwaukee Avenue in 1907 to house his growing business. Using tested and true recipes for authentic stollen, bread, cakes and pastries, Frederick or Fred as he became known, opened Libertyville Bakery and operated it primarily with his wife and children. It remained a family run business that thrived for many years and supported three generations of Jochheim members. After World War II when many businesses were recovering and prospering, the bakery faced stiff competition from chain grocers and closed in 1951. Since that time, a variety of small businesses and financial institutions have occupied the commercial space. In the 1950s the building underwent extensive alterations when the original two storefronts were combined into one. Eric Muller of Muller Trading purchased and renovated the building in 2003. It was rehabilitated with many elements that appear historic, but are new. A large two story rear addition was constructed with a second entrance. The upper level was converted to modern, open air office space. A building plaque facing Milwaukee Avenue now reads, “Muller 2008.” The last storefront tenant was Chili U, a restaurant featuring gourmet chili and modern comfort foods.
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The origin of the simple one story, two-business front building at 603-605 North Milwaukee Avenue is a bit of a mystery. It was possibly built by banker John Seely Gridley or the First National Bank in the mid-1920s. The initial owner or intended use of the building is unknown. The first mention of a tenant, the Virginia Cafe, appeared in a 1926 Libertyville Independent advertisement. Since then a variety of tenants have occupied the commercial spaces, including butcher and meat locker shops, a tailor shop, service businesses and restaurants. A two-story addition with living quarters was added after the original construction. For many years the building underwent only minor alterations. In 1998 owner Jeff Lovinger renovated the entire building and completed an expanded addition with a new rear storefront. The north wall was replaced and the storefront re-bricked. A new concrete plaque was added in 2012 naming the building, Lovinger Building. Although there have been changes and upgrades since the 1990s, the storefront building retains its historic configurations and some original elements. The current business occupants are two restaurants, Oscar Lee’s BBQ (603) and Milwalky Taco (605).
With four restaurants in the ground floor and 34 apartments above, the Manchester Square building, begun in 2007, is a recent addition to the Milwaukee Avenue landscape. Three buildings stood on this property before Manchester Square. Built in 1914, 607 N. Milwaukee Avenue was the new home of the Lake County Independent newspaper. 615 N. Milwaukee Avenue was built in the early 1930s as an automobile service station. 611 N. Milwaukee Avenue, built in 1911, contained an automobile garage and showroom building. This structure would witness the introduction of the automobile in Libertyville and the beginnings of two Libertyville automobile dealerships.
The Dall Building with its iconic Tudor revival architecture has provided many residents both past and present with an immediately identifiable glimpse of their hometown. The structure, and it’s 11 storefronts, was completed in 1929 and may be one of the most memorable to past and present Libertyvillians. The corner lot once contained one of the town’s first dwellings, a home built prior to 1850. Developer Benjamin L. Dall envisioned its potential and decided to not only expand Libertyville’s business district but to permanently lay his mark on the up and coming community. This mainstay of the town with its large illuminated public clock, began hosting an assortment of businesses and continues to this day providing opportunity to many with one particular type finding it’s home there over and over again.
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The Libertyville Town Hall celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2019. The Libertyville Township building committee, chaired by Ansel B. Cook, commissioned architect W.W. Boyington and builders W.D. and Frank Price and ground was broken May 26, 1894 with a goal for the work to be completed in 60 days. The building was completed in early August. On August 25, 1894, the Lake County Democratic convention was the first event held in the new hall. The Libertyville American Legion Post #329, founded in 1919, began renting the building in 1925 and eventually purchased the building from Libertyville Township in 1973. Libertyville Township continued to use the hall until 1982 when they moved to a new building on Merrill Court.
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In 1937, Frederick William Dobe engaged Chicago architects to design a theater “befitting a town of Libertyville’s stature.” The Liberty Theatre was the first commercial building in Libertyville with air conditioning, the workplace of a teenage Marlon Brando, and the site of a world movie premiere in 1942. The property is currently for sale by the owner.
Built in 1926-27, the current building at 624 N. Milwaukee Avenue seems to always been home to a restaurant. It was built on the site of a former blacksmith shop and tire store dating back before 1897. The Finstad Eat Shoppe, owned and operated by Miss Gyda Finstad, moved into the new building in 1927 and became the first of five restaurants to do business at this location. With over 90 years of history, the restaurant tradition continued at 624 N. Milwaukee Avenue with the opening of The Green Room in 2013.
The structure at 620-622 N. Milwaukee Avenue is an amalgamation of two twentieth century buildings. In 1981, the circa 1870 gable front building at 620 was demolished and replaced with the current 2 ½ story building in a neo-Tudor design. It is likely the façade of the neighboring building at 622, built in 1952, was altered at the same time to match the look and feel of the new building. A more recent remodel of the exterior occurred in 2012. Over nearly 150 years, these two lots hosted many businesses: a wagon and blacksmith shop, an upholstery workshop, electrical contractors, a fruit and vegetable store and more.
The building at 614-618 N. Milwaukee has been a part of Libertyville’s fabric for over 100 years. Built in 1912 by Josiah Butler, son of early settler Horace Butler, the brick structure has held many types of businesses over the years. The one which has been identified with it the longest by far, is a barbershop. Locals have been visiting the 614 N. Milwaukee Ave. location for a trim and to hear the latest news for around 100 years.
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The red brick, Neo-Classical, two-story business block at 602-610 N. Milwaukee Avenue was constructed in 1902 by a member of the Libertyville pioneer Bulkley family. (A misspelling of the family name is the moniker of Buckley Road). The building provided four storefronts at street level and four upstairs apartments. A plumber, a baker, and a female photographer first rented space in the building. Other early tenants included the W.C. Triggs shoe store, Beswick’s photography studio, Brown’s saloon, and the North Shore Gas Company. A succession of apparel shops, small grocery stores and restaurants anchored the block from the 1910s through the 1940s. The Sportsman served the community’s sporting good needs here for several decades beginning in the mid twentieth century. Over the last thirty years, this block has contributed to the revival of Libertyville’s downtown by hosting a series of restaurants and specialty shops.
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This historic three-story brick building was constructed in 1913 to house the town’s second financial institution, the First National Bank and several other businesses including the post office and a public auditorium. At the time of its completion, it was hailed as a thoroughly modern facility. Over the years, it has been a vital and active location, not only serving host to an important, anchor town institution during the day, but one that also providing entertainment drawing crowds of hundreds through its doors after the work day had ended.
The storefront at 532 N. Milwaukee Avenue appears to be a part of its neighbor to the south, the Proctor Building, due to similar brick and detailing. However, the building was constructed in 1905, two years after the Proctor Building. The two-story structure with a basement was built to house the offices and printing facilities of the Lake County Independent newspaper. About a decade later, the newspaper built another building across the street and a movie theater moved in to the space. The Liberty Theatre, no relation to the later constructed, free-standing theatre building a block or so north, showed films here until 1923. After that the storefront served for a few years as an electrical supply store. The Mackey jewelry store began about a forty year run at this address in 1929. In the late 1970s and 1980s, the Tap n Tote bar served up drinks here. After a refurbishing of both the exterior and interior in 1988, the space was reborn as Morgan’s Bar and Grill which is still in operation today.
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The Proctor Building, also known as the New Castle Hotel building, located at 516-528 North Milwaukee Avenue, is a Libertyville Local Landmark also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was designed by Chicago architect William G. Kreig and built in 1903 by Proctor brothers Robert J., Charles W. and Richard E. Proctor and cousin Elisha W. Proctor. Upon its completion, the September 23, 1903, edition of the Lake County Independent praised it as “Libertyville’s first major metropolitan building, the pride of all citizens.” The 20th Century revival design with five commercial spaces and a second story hotel with four ornamental bay windows was elegant, innovative and exhibited exceptional details in design and craftsmanship. The building soon became an anchor of commercial and social life. In 1996, a renovation of the historic building using the architect’s original plans included extensive exterior and interior restoration. A closed pedestrian walkway was re-opened and the hotel rooms were converted to apartments. The Proctor Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 5, 1998.
Today the facade of 510-514 N. Milwaukee Avenue unifies two buildings constructed within months of each other in 1896. Lewis Hanby commissioned the south building (now 510-512) and Josiah W. Butler commissioned the north building (now 514). The mid-century modernization trend struck the Hanby and Butler buildings when the second story bay window was removed and the front facade was covered with Lannon Stone cladding circa 1960. Remodeling in 1989 brought back a more historic look. Over the years, the Butler and Hanby Buildings have housed a variety of businesses including a jewelry store, a dry goods store, a drug store, a men’s clothing store and a saloon.
Built in 1895/96 by H.B. Eger to house his hardware store, when construction was complete, the cornice prominently displayed the owner’s name and construction date. The building was extensively altered in 1963, with a completely new storefront and an aluminum slipcover over the 2nd floor. The cornice was also removed at that time. The building facade was rehabilitated in 1993.The slipcover was removed, the cornice re-built, and the brick was restored. After serving as a hardware store under different owners until the 1960s, this building has been home to three Libertyville restaurants.
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A hardware store anchored this prominent downtown corner for at least 80 years. The circa 1850 Sprague home that originally stood on this corner was moved by G.H. Schanck in order to construct a new building for his expanding hardware business.The Libertyville Fire of 1895 destroyed that wooden building and Schanck's entire stock, but the business survived. The current two-story brick building was constructed before the turn of the 20th century . In addition to the Schanck Hardware store, men's clothing stores, a stationary store, and a music store have occupied the storefront over the years.
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Rising up out of the ashes of the 1895 Libertyville fire, the Triggs and Taylor building has become one of the iconic buildings of downtown Libertyville. Built in 1896, it was home to the Triggs and Taylor grocery store for about 40 years. Since then, it has been home to a variety of businesses including other grocery stores, a shoe store, an ice cream parlor, and a menswear store.
A drug store has been in continuous operation on this same spot since the 1870s known variously as Kimball & Knight’s, F.Z. Kimball & Co., F.B. Lovell & Co., F.B. Lovell Company, and finally, Petranek’s. Although in business for almost 150 years on the same site, it currently occupies its third building, the two previous structures having been seriously damaged by fires. In 1898, the Lovell drug store became home to the first telephone company in Libertyville. The Lake County Telephone Company switchboard was located in the basement of the Lovell drug store and later in the rear of the store. When fire gutted Petranek’s Pharmacy in 1954, the shop moved to another Milwaukee Avenue storefront while the current building was constructed. When the new building opened its doors in the spring of 1956, it featured a restaurant and soda fountain, air-conditioning, indirect lighting, and oak paneling. In 1993 exterior architectural changes were made, including a stucco facade and peaked parapet wall, but many of the charming 1950s interior details remain.
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416 North Milwaukee Avenue, built in 1949, is one of downtown Libertyville’s younger buildings. It has housed only three businesses in its seventy-odd years, but each was uniquely distinct from the others. The 8100 square foot building was constructed for A&P groceries which operated at the location for over two decades. It was followed in 1974 by a thirty-seven year run by Arden’s Furniture and Design. In 2015 it was replaced by an upscale Indian Motorcycle dealership that occupied the building until May 31, 2020.
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The building at 412 North Milwaukee Ave has had an impressive run of being a local drinking establishment for the past 85 years (as of 2020). Located on the east side of Milwaukee Ave, the building is currently part of O’Toole’s restaurant. Looking at the Milwaukee Avenue facade of O’Toole’s, the left section of the building with the dining patio is part of a 1994 addition, the right-hand section, however, is much older. Built around 1905 the original section was known as the “Hanby Block,” having been built as a business prospect by Lewis Hanby. Despite its slender width, it has been occupied by many well known businesses over the years including by Ray Furniture and Paint before 1923. In 1933 it was known as Park View Tavern and has remained as a restaurant and bar ever since. Beginning in the 1970s it was home to Flagg’s tavern, and in 1993 it became Mickey Finn’s Brewery. The current O’Toole’s opened in 2015.
The C. H. Kaiser building was commissioned by Libertyville business man Charles Kaiser in 1904 and became a desirable location, housing numerous businesses of over the years. Two storefronts downstairs became three in the 1920s and 30s, while the second floor was a mix of residences and office space. Some tenants came and went quickly, others became downtown fixtures, such as Ray Furniture and Paint, North Shore Gas Company, Libertyville Tailors and Cleaners, Jordan Shoes, and Parkside Liquors. Upstairs, dentist Dr. Golding, chiropractor J. H. Heslin, doctor Fredrick H. Martin and dentist Stuart Matthews rotated through. More recently the street level storefronts have housed resale shop Treasures 'n' Trash, Neville - Sargent, Leggy Bird Designs, and currently, 847 Running and B. Bungalow.
The single-story brick building that encompasses 400-404 North Milwaukee Ave was built fairly recently on the lot at the northeast corner of Church St. and Milwaukee Ave. Surprisingly, despite it’s seemingly prime downtown location, the property sat empty for many years. A frame building was removed from the site in 1909, and in the 1940s it had been landscaped and was used for an honor roll for military servicemen before the current building was constructed in 1956. The new building provided two storefronts first occupied by Julian’s Menswear and Jays Shoes, Inc. Successive businesses included Fenwick Shoes, Magic Touch Cleaners, and Murphy’s Health Foods and Juice Bar.
The Public Service Building, designed by architect H.V. von Holst and dedicated in 1928, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Conceived by Samuel Insull as a showcase for advancements in electric light and modern appliances sold by his Public Service Co., it is an unusual example of the Eclectic movement combining elements of Old English, Moorish and Asian design.
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The Bartholomay Building extended the Libertyville business district southward when it was constructed in 1929. Frank H. Bartholomay of Lake Forest commissioned the architecture firm of Anderson & Ticknor to design a mixed commercial-residential property on the large lot on the corner of Milwaukee Avenue and Broadway. Architect Xavier Vigeant of Highland Park also contributed. A one-story addition was attached in 1945. Over the years, the Bartholomay building has been home to a variety of stores and businesses including a barbershop, TV repair shop, dentist, realty agency, and a small grocery.
The first Catholic Church in Libertyville was established in 1886, under the name of St. Peter and Paul. Located on N. First Street, it suffered total destruction by fire in 1904. A new brick church was constructed on East Maple Avenue at a cost of $15,000 and named St. Joseph Catholic Church upon its dedication on July 2, 1905. Over the following decades, a rectory and school were added. The current sanctuary was built in 1966 to serve the growing population and the 1905 church was torn down.
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For over a hundred years this property has provided homes and home mortgages, as well as taking care of the family car. This three-story bank and office building located at 325 North Milwaukee Avenue was constructed in 1991 by architect Daniel K. Bleck and builder A. J. Maggio. At the time of construction the name of the bank occupying the building was First of America Bank Corporation, which later merged with National City and in 2008 was bought out by PNC. Access to the bank is gained from Maple and Milwaukee Avenues as well as from the parking garage at the rear. Several business buildings and residences on this site were torn down at the time of its construction.
Tucked away between PNC and Mickey Finn’s, this little office complex has been serving the community for four decades, but the history of the property extends back over a century. In the early 1900s, the 300 block of Milwaukee Avenue was residential. Later in the 20th century, this spot held a greenhouse and the Libertyville Floral Company. They were in turn torn down for a parking lot for nearby car dealers. In 1980, the current 339 N. Milwaukee Avenue was constructed as the two-story commercial/office strip mall that we see today, with a sideways orientation that maximizes parking space. Marvin Johnson was the architect and the builder was Ken Olson & Assoc. Peter Tosto’s insurance agency has occupied the building since its construction.
From cars to bars, both business types have occupied this property for over a century. In 1913, the foundation of this building was laid with the construction of a garage building that housed many different garage and automobile businesses. In 1924 the Main Garage opened for business here and successfully serviced automobiles in Libertyville for over a decade. New car dealers and repair shops came and went at 345 N. Milwaukee Avenue until the early 1960s when the Independent Register newspaper occupied the building. The building became office space for Edward D. Jones investment in 1988 and in 2014 Mickey Finn’s moved from one block north and opened at this location thus expanding its parking, restaurant and party room space.
This Queen Anne-style commercial block, featuring distinctive polygonal bays in the second story, was erected in 1896 by James Triggs. In 1897, the Libertyville Hotel opened, hoping to draw summer visitors from Chicago. The hotel featured a dining room and an adjacent stable. Food and transport would be repeating themes for future building occupants. By the 1920s, the building had been divided into first-floor retail, with multiple storefronts, and second-floor apartments. A Ford agency and auto repair shop operated here through the 1920s, alongside a bank and real estate agency. In the 1930s and 40s, it housed a beauty shop and ice cream shop. Proctor's Chatter Box, a soda fountain and cafe, was a popular teen hangout in the 1950s in the north half of the building. By the late 1970s, it reprised an earlier role, as an auto parts store. Over the past 20 years, the building has ensured local residents have been well supplied with ice cream, baked goods, and coffee.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
Take a virtual stroll through time down Milwaukee Avenue, the heart of Libertyville's commercial district. The Libertyville-Mundelein Historical Society presents the stories of some of downtown's key historic buildings and the businesses and people that occupied them. Do you have additional information or photographs of any of the buildings? Please contact the Libertyville-Mundelein Historical Society at info@lmhistory.org.
