Fifty years ago, the Evanston Historical Society celebrated its 50th birthday with a formal tea for about 300 people. The event was in keeping with the demeanor of the typically staid organization.
But on Sunday, the historical society tossed itself a fun-filled birthday gala that drew nearly a thousand people. And, this time, organizers hope the event helps change the group’s enduring reputation.
Held on the grounds of the Charles Gates Dawes House, 225 Greenwood St., the birthday bash boasted a clown with rainbow-colored hair crafting balloon hats, a face-painting booth, free cake and ice cream and horse-and-carriage rides. It attracted a diverse crowd of swimsuit-clad kids, adults on in-line skates and elderly residents adorned in straw hats.
“We wanted to get rid of the staunch image that so many people assign to historical societies, and we figured this kind of party was a great way to do that,” said Joan Costello, director of the Evanston Historical Society, which is based at the Dawes mansion. “We wanted to say to everyone, `See, we can have fun too. And you can have fun with us.’ “
The huge outdoor party–which also featured a live band, games for the kids and free tours of the Dawes mansion–was not the first effort to dispel the rigid image. Last year, society members began renting out the Dawes grounds for weddings and other large parties.
“I think some people think of us as an exclusive, maybe even all-white club, but we’re not, and we want people to come here and enjoy what we have to offer,” said Dino Robinson, an African-American who serves on the group’s board of directors. “The goal is to reach into the Evanston community and try to touch everyone.”
It might not have reached everyone, but the historical society seemed to touch a fair share of people during Sunday’s festivities.
Greta Hall said she remembers touring the Dawes mansion 10 years ago. She agreed it had a decidedly different feel Sunday.
“Well, I don’t remember my tour being free, and I don’t remember getting any free ice cream or cake,” said a joking Hall, as she stood in the ice cream line with her grandniece and grandnephew, each of whom clutched balloons twisted into odd shapes. “But it certainly was beautiful then, and it’s still beautiful.”
Julie Rivera said she brought her two young daughters to the celebration because she expected it to be fun.
“I wanted to support Evanston, and I wanted to support the historical society, but I also knew it would be really fun for the kids,” Rivera said, as she slurped ice cream with her two swimsuit-clad daughters.
But the birthday bash was not all fun and games.
Much of the focus centered on the Dawes house, an architectural masterpiece and one of the Chicago area’s finest house museums. The lakefront mansion was built from 1894 to 1896 by Robert Sheppard, a Methodist minister who aspired to become president of Northwestern University. In 1909, Charles Dawes, a prominent Chicago banker who served as vice president under President Calvin Coolidge, bought the home.
Dawes, a brigadier general during World War I and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1925 for his European economic recovery plan, deeded the house to Northwestern University with the understanding it eventually would house the historical society.
On Sunday, a day that typically sees a handful, if any, visitors to the house, the 28-room mansion accommodated a steady stream of curiosity-seekers, from the longtime patron to the first-time visitor.
“I never even knew it was here,” said Jesica Tamborn, a 17-year-old Chicago resident who wandered over to the house when she heard the band crank up. “I like big houses, so I thought it was pretty neat.”