A vintage Evanston building permit, number 460, granted to R. D. Sheppard to erect a 2-story frame house consisting of 13 rooms. The dimensions are listed as 103 feet front, 70 feet deep, and 49 feet high.

Research Room

The Evanston History Center’s Archival Collection is extensive and offers a comprehensive view of Evanston over time.

The archives hold a significant amount of material related to people and houses in Evanston. In addition, our staff has years of experience interpreting the primary sources and assisting people with figuring out the stories of their families and their homes.

  • Contact the archivist, Grace Lehner at glehner@evanstonhistorycenter.org, to learn about how they can help you with research.
  • Visit the Evanston History Center between 1-4 pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Saturday to conduct in-person research. In-person research is $10/visit.
  • District 65 and District 202 educators receive free admission to the research room during regular hours.
  • View the Evanston History Center’s digital collections.
  • Registration is not required to visit the research room.
  • Please make sure there hasn’t been a last-minute closure before visiting.
  • Closures will be posted on our Calendar of Events.
  • Educators can register in advance by clicking here or simply show up during regular hours and register onsite.
  • All educators must show their school photo IDs at the door.
  • Archival collections documenting many Evanston schools, churches, civic and social organizations, businesses, and residents, including correspondence and organizational records.
  • Building records, including: house files with city records and real estate listings for every house in Evanston and some commercial structures; Sanborn fire insurance maps; blueprints and plat surveys for many structures; and documentation for historic districts and local landmarks.
  • Records of the town, village, and city of Evanston, and Ridgeville and Evanston township, from the 1840s to the present
  • Newspapers, and clipping files from local newspapers, including the Evanston Index, Evanston Press, Evanston News, Daily News, Evanston News-Index, Evanston Review, and Evanston Roundtable.
  • Books and publications on various subjects, including:
    • Evanston history and Evanston authors
    • Evanston City Directories from 1879-1963 (some including Rogers Park and other North Shore communities)
    • Evanston Telephone Directories from 1926 through the present
    • Evanston Architecture
    • Family history
    • Maps of Evanston and vicinity
  • Photographs (biographical and subject files), film, videotapes, and DVDs.
  • Oral history interviews and other audio recordings

The History Center requires ongoing resources to maintain its collections of objects and documents.  This work includes cataloging, storing, and preserving the artifacts, and the specialized activity necessary to make this unique resource available for use in exhibitions, publications, public programs, scholarly research, and loans to other institutions.  We encourage you to consider making a financial contribution to help support this important work.

Hours

Research Room Hours

Tuesday – Thursday: 1 – 4 p.m.
Saturday: 1- 4 p.m.

Holiday Hours

The Evanston History Center is closed on the following holidays: New Year’s Day, MLK Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Indigenous Peoples Day, Thanksgiving, December 23-25, and December 30-31. In addition, the Research Room will be closed on December 26 and 28.

Reservations are not required to visit the research room. Please check our calendar for other upcoming closures.

Admission

Members

Free

Non-Members

$10

Students

Free

Become a member >

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