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Building Buzz – Mid-Century Modern in the Suburbs

By Bill Shapiro, Class of 2000

2541 Wilmette Avenue, Wilmette. Constructed 1958, architect unknown. (VHT Studios photo)

The postwar suburbanization of metropolitan centers like Chicago transformed urban and architectural design in the 20th century. An excellent example is west Wilmette, where subdivisions of California-style tract housing sprung up on acres of farm land. A new exhibit entitled “Exploring West Wilmette” at the Wilmette Historical Museum illustrates the growth of a Mid-Century Modern suburb with excellent photos, videos and documentation. The exhibit will run through 2017. For further information, including exhibit hours, check out the museum’s website, www.wilmettehistory.org.

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