Maywood in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

The Historic Maywood Home for Soldiers' Widows

Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, December 4, 2021

1. The Historic Maywood Home for Soldiers' Widows Marker

Inscription.

The Historic Maywood Home for Soldiers' Widows. . The Maywood Home for Soldiers' Widows was built in 1924. It was sponsored by the Daughters of Union Veterans society to provide maintenance, nursing and care for elderly widows of fallen Union Soldiers of the Civil War and their children. The widows had been housed at the Logan Home, named in honor of Civil War general from Illinois, John Logan. That building was the former mansion of Maywood founder Colonel William Nichols. The new, larger Maywood Home for Soldiers' Widows provided 34 individual bedrooms, communal bathrooms, a family gathering room and a large dining room with a kitchen from which daily meals were served for the residents until 1978., The building was designed by prominent Maywood architect Francis E. Dunlap. Mr Dunlap was born in Maywood and later served as a Maywood Trustee until his death at only 32 yrs of age in 1927. He had been a Maywood Library Board member and was also the designer of the grand structure for the Maywood State Bank now standing on the southeast corner of 5th Ave. and Lake Street. Dunlap's stately design for this Maywood Home for Soldiers' Widows building is a fine example of the Federalist style featuring red brick, arched windows, limestone accents and classical detailing inside and out. It remains today as a solidly built and highly fire-resistant structure with extraordinary character and great memorial and historic significance. The building is believed to be one of only two such structures still standing nationwide. It has been determined eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency., The building has been owned by the The building has been owned by the Village of Maywood since 2008 and vacant since 2003. Recent efforts to promote commercial adaptive re-uses for this building have led to the restoration of the front portico, a comprehensive re-use study, preparations to inspire redevelopment proposals and the formation of the "Friends of the Maywood Home for Soldiers' Widows” group., (business part of marker not transcribed)

The Maywood Home for Soldiers' Widows was built in 1924. It was sponsored by the Daughters of Union Veterans society to provide maintenance, nursing and care for elderly widows of fallen Union Soldiers of the Civil War and their children. The widows had been housed at the Logan Home, named in honor of Civil War general from Illinois, John Logan. That building was the former mansion of Maywood founder Colonel William Nichols. The new, larger Maywood Home for Soldiers' Widows provided 34 individual bedrooms, communal bathrooms, a family gathering room and a large dining room with a kitchen from which daily meals were served for the residents until 1978.

The building was designed by prominent Maywood architect Francis E. Dunlap. Mr Dunlap was born in Maywood and later served as a Maywood Trustee until his death at only 32 yrs of age in 1927. He had been a Maywood Library Board member and was also the designer of the grand structure for the Maywood State Bank now standing on the southeast corner of 5th Ave. & Lake Street. Dunlap's stately design for this Maywood Home for Soldiers' Widows building is a fine example of the Federalist style featuring red brick, arched windows, limestone accents and classical detailing inside and out. It remains today as a solidly built and highly fire-resistant structure with extraordinary

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character and great memorial and historic significance. The building is believed to be one of only two such structures still standing nationwide. It has been determined eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

The building has been owned by the The building has been owned by the Village of Maywood since 2008 and vacant since 2003. Recent efforts to promote commercial adaptive re-uses for this building have led to the restoration of the front portico, a comprehensive re-use study, preparations to inspire redevelopment proposals and the formation of the "Friends of the Maywood Home for Soldiers' Widows” group.

(business part of marker not transcribed)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • War, US Civil • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1924.

Location. 41° 53.381′ N, 87° 50.078′ W. Marker is in Maywood, Illinois, in Cook County. Marker is at the intersection of North First Avenue and Ohio Street, on the right when traveling south on North First Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 224 North First Avenue, Maywood IL 60153, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Ten Mile Freedom House (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Maywood World War I Veterans Memorial

The Historic Maywood Home for Soldiers' Widows and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, December 4, 2021

2. The Historic Maywood Home for Soldiers' Widows and Marker

(approx. 0.2 miles away); Benjamin R. Morin, S.J., Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); 192nd Tank Battalion Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); Company B, 192nd Tank Battalion Memorial (approx. ¼ mile away); Frederick Allen Hampton (approx. ¼ mile away); Bicentennial Bandstand (approx. ¼ mile away); Waller Gates (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Maywood.

Also see . . . Rehabilitation and Re-Use Opportunities....(Landmarks Illinois, City of Maywood, et al.). The re-use proposal, as noted on the marker, does provide a short (and probably best available) history of the structure.

'At the laying of the building’s cornerstone in 1924, it was stated by Mrs. Lizzie Field, president of the Maywood Home for Soldiers’ Widows’ association, “When they were young and life was sweet and hopes were high they had courage to embrace their men and send them to die with that army in blue which sixty years ago stretched itself across the continent and fought that this country might not become ‘a house divided against itself.’ When they are old and the
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twilight gathered and they had no high hopes and ambitions are not as great as they were, after they have served their country by giving their all and are poor and helpless, left to live alone in basements

and hovels, in penury, utter poverty and woe, is the time to show them that they have not been forgotten.” (Maywood Herald, May 2, 1924)'

(Submitted on December 8, 2021.)

Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 8, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 2,697 times since then and 633 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 8, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.