Norwood Park in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

John Wingert House

Circa 1865; addition in 1871

— Chicago Landmark —

John Wingert House Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, August 24, 2024

1. John Wingert House Marker

Inscription. John Wingert was one of a number of immigrants who, seeking refuge from religious persecution in Germany, created a settlement called Canfield on the prairie frontier. One of the few surviving early farmhouses, within the Chicago city limits, the modest original building and its larger, two-story Italianate addition, reflect the agricultural origins of this community.

Designated June 30, 1990
Richard M. Daley, Mayor

Erected by Commission on Chicago Landmarks; City of Chicago.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Architecture • Immigration • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Chicago's Surviving Pre-Fire Structures, and the Illinois, Chicago Landmarks Commission series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1865.

Location. 41° 59.657′ N, 87° 49.311′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Norwood Park. It is on Canfield Road 0.1 miles north of Talcott Avenue, on the right when traveling north. The plaque is embedded in concrete on the ground next to the front entrance of the Wingert Home. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6231 North Canfield Road, Park Ridge IL 60068, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest

and on the Great Lakes.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers

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are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Edison Park World War I Memorial (approx. 0.6 miles away); Adalbert "Al" Kalina (approx. 0.7 miles away); Thomas A. Edison (approx. 0.7 miles away); American Legion Memorial (approx. ¾ mile away); World War II Memorial (approx. ¾ mile away); Alfonso Ianelli (approx. 1.1 miles away); Park Ridge Camp Fire Girls (approx. 1.1 miles away); Milestones of History (approx. 1.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.

Regarding John Wingert House. While the marker dates the home to 1865, other sources, including real estate listings from 2024, say the home's oldest sections date to 1854. Either way, the house represents a rare example of a structure inside Chicago's city limits that pre-dates the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

According to a 1906 obituary for John Wingert, the family settled in the Chicago area in 1839. Wingert's father, Jacob, set up a farm in what today is parts of the Norwood Park and Edison Park neighborhoods of Chicago and the suburb of Park Ridge. The house sits along the western border of Chicago; the City of Park Ridge is across Canfield Road. The area including this home was annexed into Chicago in the late 1920s. The home was designated a Chicago Landmark in 1990 amid attempts by a developer to tear down the home, which had been vacant for

John Wingert House image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, August 24, 2024

2. John Wingert House

The historical marker is flat on the ground, just to the left of the wooden steps into the home.

years and deteriorating; in the end, the home was left intact. In 2021, the home was damaged by fire; it was renovated and sold in April 2024 for $785,000.

Norwood Park is also home to what is considered the oldest home in Chicago, the circa-1833 Noble-Crippen-Seymour House. It is about 1½ miles east of the Wingert House and is today home to the Norwood Park Historical Society.

Also see . . . Buyer Wanted: The John Wingert House from 1854, One of Chicago’s Oldest Houses, Listed for Sale. From Preservation Chicago, a 2024 article about the home being listed for sale. According to the report, the home was damaged by fire in 2021 but has been rehabbed and was listed for $879,000. (Submitted on August 25, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Credits. This page was last revised on August 29, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 25, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 427 times since then and 56 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 25, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.