On May 6, 1957, David Muss, president of Winston Park Northwest, asked the Village of Palatine to pre-annex 755 acres he wished to develop, a proposal that would almost double the population of Palatine. The plan generally covered the area from Rohlwing Road to Wilke Road on both sides of Palatine Road. It called for 2,000 single family homes plus park, school and church sites on the north side of Palatine Road.  A large shopping center with two department stores, 80 other shops and parking for 6,000 cars, plus some proposed industrial land was planned for the south side of Palatine Road. The large shopping center didn’t happen, and the industrial area did not materialize.

But on June 13, 1957, construction began on all those houses. Winston Park was a planned community. All electric and public utility cables were installed underground and streets were paved. A waterworks and sanitary sewer system were installed. There were four units, or areas, in Winston Park, and the models changed in the different units. Some were retained from one section to another, some were dropped and new models were introduced. The houses were well-priced, the financing was good, and the houses sold. The Village requested that the streets be named after early settlers, so the Palatine Historical Society stepped in and submitted a list. Late in 1958, the developer asked to be annexed to the Palatine Park District.

One of the early models, the Eden, had a sales price of $25,290 and was marketed as a home with “Breath-Taking Flare” and as “The greatest advance in home building since the advent of the split-level.”  And to provide total convenience, the fourth bedroom in the Eden could be easily converted to a maid’s quarters. A Price Information Sheet for models in Unit 4 includes sales prices from the $20,300 Embassy model to the $25,250 Drake model.  Adding a basement to the Drake would be another $2,000 and the Embassy with a 2 car garage added on another $1,650.

Riding through Winston Park now, one will see well maintained homes, parks, schools and churches. Winston Park was a forerunner of the many sub-divisions and annexations that would increase the area and population of the Village of Palatine.

The Palatine Historical Society is dedicated to the collection, preservation and exhibition of local history and memorabilia.  This article is an excerpt from the Palatine Palaver – the newsletter of the Palatine Historical Society. To receive the monthly newsletter in your mailbox, become a member today! For more information, call 847-991-6460 or visit palatinehistoricalsociety.com.

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