Northbrook History Museum

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Northbrook History Museum

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northbrookhistory.org/hours-and-location/

🌲🌳 All our Socials 🌳🌲
linktr.ee/northbrookhistory The Keepers of the Stories

08/31/2026

"The Road to Shermerville from St. Joseph's Technical School at Techny, ILL.", c.1910 🕵️‍♂️

08/29/2026

Shermerfest is the Northbrook Historical Society's main fundraiser! The Northbrook Historical Society is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates the Northbrook History Museum and the Hope Union Heritage Center Archives & Offices. We depend entirely upon your support to continue our work: bringing you high-quality historical content. 😉 Thank you!

08/27/2026

🎶🎼

The spotlight was shining on Northbrook’s performing arts scene more than 45 years ago!

The Sheely Center for the Performing Arts at Glenbrook North High School was completed for the 1979–80 school year, with its premiere event held on October 28, 1979. The stage came alive with performances by the GBN orchestra, choir, Orchesis, and jazz band.

In 1981, the center was dedicated to Dr. Forrest Sheely upon his retirement after 12 years as District 225 superintendent. Before serving as superintendent, Dr. Sheely was also principal of Glenbrook North.

In late 1980, the Northbrook Symphony Orchestra made its debut under the direction of the late Samuel Magad.

From school performances to the symphony, these moments helped set the stage for Northbrook’s rich tradition of music and the arts.

08/25/2026

August 12th, 1971 Local baseball players in the pros / "Player Periscope" update from the Northbrook Star. ⚾️

08/24/2026

A few pages from the August 23rd, 1962 Northbrook Star. The caption reads, "Perhaps the thoughts of Steven Sumner, 14, are turned toward Glenbrook High School, which he will enter as a freshman this fall. He sits beside a pond on the grounds of Anetsberger Brothers, Inc., on Anets drive, Northbrook. (Howard Fochler photo)" 😎

08/20/2026

Back-to-school season brings new classes, friends, and plenty of memories, and if there’s one thing John Hughes knew, it was how to capture the unforgettable moments of growing up. This year marks the 40th anniversary of "Ferris Bueller’s Day Off", one of several Hughes films that put Northbrook on the national scene.

Thanks to director John Hughes and his love for his hometown, Northbrook is forever part of such films as the aforementioned "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" (1986), "Sixteen Candles" (1984), "Breakfast Club" (1985), "Weird Science" (1985), and more. Today, a memorial bench outside of the Northbrook Public Library and Tower Rink dedicated to John Hughes honors the lasting impact his films made on the world and the pride we have in our community for being part of them.

What was your favorite John Hughes film? Do you have a memory from when filming took place around the village? Let us know in the comments!

08/16/2026

One of the early primary schools in northern Northfield Township was the North Northfield School, located on Dundee Road about one half mile east of Sanders Road. 👩‍🎓

On November 20, 1852, Levi Kennicott conveyed a small portion of the 80 acres he owned in the SE ¼ of Section 6 to the township school directors. North Northfield School, District #3, opened in 1853. The first directors of the school were, Isaac Hoffert, Levi Kennicott and Phillip Ott. Miss Anderson was the first teacher. She received $80.00 for four months work. Mr. Kennicott received $6.00 for “boarding the teacher”. In 1855, it was moved that “every inhabitant sending children to school, shall on notice, bring for each child that he sends to school, one quarter of wood feet for the stove to urn, if not he shall pay for every quarter one dollar, to the Directors for that purpose to 'by fier wood'[sic]”.

The first recorded tax levy for District #3 in 1854 was $132.11. The directors showed a balance of $2.08 after all expenses were paid.

The first census of pupils, taken in 1860 listed 53 scholars enrolled. The number rose by 1863 to 95 (54 boys 42 girls). Average daily attendance was about half of the total.

In 1886, the old school house was replaced. The new building was frame with a brick foundation. The cost $224.95, with a woodshed and outhouse. The school directors also purchased an additional 1/8 of an acre of land for $18.75. (Information taken from A COLLECTION OF HISTORIES AND RECOLLECTIONS OF THE NORTHBROOK AREA by LEE SCHINLEBER (1989))

Below are some photos of the old 1886 Grove school.

08/13/2026

The Shermerville School, originally built in 1911 with four classrooms, served students from kindergarten through eighth grade. If residents wanted their children to attend high school, they had to travel by train or bus to another town.

By the 1940s, the school was known as Northbrook School and had been expanded several times. But Northbrook was growing quickly, and soon the school was too small to keep up.

In the 1950s, a new high school, Glenbrook High School, was built, and elementary schools began popping up around the community. The former Northbrook High School then became Crestwood School for K-6 students, serving the growing village for the next 25 years before closing in 1979.

In the early 1980s, the Village purchased the property and converted the building into what is now Crestwood Place Senior Living. Today, the grounds feature a historic marker displaying the original chiseled “Northbrook School” on the northwest corner of Angle and Kiest Avenues. These letters once hung above the building’s Waukegan Road entrance.

08/10/2026

August 10, 1961

08/09/2026

Aug 9, 1924 -- Paving of First Street and Center Street, and Church Street from Shermer Avenue to Walters Avenue started.

Address

1776 Walters Avenue
Northbrook, IL
60062

Opening Hours

2pm - 4pm

Telephone

(847) 498-3404

Website

http://www.northbrookhistory.org/

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