To spot the Humer Building, look for a two-story tan brick structure with a row of boxy windows at the top, flanked by green awnings announcing shops at street level, right across from the sidewalk where you’re now standing.
Alright, imagine it’s the roaring 1920s-you’re surrounded by the scent of fresh bread from the local bakery, people bustling along Sheridan Road in snappy hats and flapper dresses. Suddenly, you see this striking, modern building rising out of the more traditional storefronts. The Humer Building, designed by John S. Van Bergen-a man who actually worked under the legendary Frank Lloyd Wright-emerges like an architectural rebel on the block. Van Bergen was famous for Prairie School homes, but here, he took that same sleek, geometric style and splashed it onto a commercial building, which no one else in the northern Chicago suburbs was doing. Peek at those ribbon windows-stretched out like a row of marching dominoes-and picture sunlight streaming inside. Go inside and you'll find geometric patterns and unique patterned glass climbing the staircase. Locals in 1926 must have thought they spotted the future, right at 1894 Sheridan Road! Today, it enjoys the honor roll spot on the National Register of Historic Places, but it still loves catching people off guard with its dapper good looks. And hey, if you listen closely, you might imagine the echoes of a hundred business deals, secrets, and giggles from shopkeepers over the last century.
