Glencoe Historical Society
at the
Eklund History Center & Garden

GLENCOE—Remember the movie theater where now there is real estate office? How about the shoe store where today dentists’ office are located? Second graders from South School will be exploring the old and new in Glencoe’s business district the week of June 1 in a week-long program on Our Community: Then and Now. On June 2, they will visit the Glencoe Historical Society museum to look at old pictures and artifacts and then take a walk around the downtown area. On other days that week, they will visit two architecturally significant but nevertheless stylistically different homes.

The curriculum for the Our Community program was developed in cooperation between the schools, the PTO’s Cultural Arts Program and the Glencoe Historical Society. Used for a number of years with third graders, this is the second year it is being employed with South School’s second graders.

On June 1, classes will views a slide presentation by Historical Society board members Scott Javore and Ellen Paseltiner on “Then and Now,” with photos of buildings and settings that no longer exist together with what is there today. On June 2, the children will walk through downtown, and compare the photos of the old facades and buildings with current building occupants or new buildings.

Learning history first-hand is a fun and educational experience for the children—and their parents. Many mothers and fathers new to the community often learn as much as the children do on these excursions. And for those who can’t come during the week, the Historical Society’s Eklund History Center and Garden will be open for second grade parents on June 5 from 9:30–1:30 a.m. with guides to talk about what the children saw. (Other parents who want to know about Glencoe Then and Now are invited to this special open house as well. Admission is free.)

The Then and Now program has proved to be highly popular. Many of Glencoe’s downtown buildings—such as Wienecke Plaza—date from the early 1900s, while others such as 666 Vernon Av. are much newer. Still others may look the same—Harris Bank, North Shore Community Bank—may look the same, but their occupants have changed over the years. Come along and learn about the downtown and how it has changed—and stayed the same—over the years.

For more information, call the Glencoe Historical Society at 847.835.0040.