Anita Willets-Burnham
Now situated at Crow Island Woods on Willow Road in Winnetka, IL, the circa 1820 Schmidt Log House was bought by Anita Willets-Burnham and moved in 1917 from WinnetkaÕs Indian Hill to Tower Road, where the artist designed a studio addition for the structure, possibly the oldest continuously occupied house in northern Illinois. There Willets-Burnham and husband Alfred raised a family of four children in addition to giving art classes, operating printing presses, creating Arts and Crafts Style furniture, childrenÕs toys and hand-crafted picture frames, and entertaining hundreds of visitors from throughout the United States and abroad, including close friends Frank Lloyd Wright, Jane Addams, Carleton Washburne and Ivan Albright.

With the death of her last surviving child, in 2001 the Schmidt-Burnham house was deeded to The Winnetka Historical Society (www.WinnetkaHistory.org), which has moved it to its present location. There it will be open to the public to serve as an educational example of pioneer life as well as commemorating the life and work of Anita Willets-Burnham. The Log House was designated a National Historic Landmark by the Federal Government in 2004, on the strength of the contribution to art of Anita Willets-Burnham.
family making fire in parlor
Family making fire in Log House parlor, c. 1927.  Left to right:  Anita Willets-Burnham, son Willets, daughter Ann.
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"Our Log House before we had to move it - 1917", Anita Willets-Burnham, w/c on paper.