Winnetka's Hidden Jewel: A History

A cenotaph - or ‘empty tomb’ in Greek - is a monument to someone buried elsewhere, especially those who died in war. They can be as small as a marked stone in a graveyard or as large and majestic as the Arc de Triopmphe in Paris. This Cenotaph stands as a memorial to all Winnetka residents who died serving their country in the Armed Forces. To date, 94 have lost their lives protecting our freedoms.

The story of this cenotaph begins in the aftermath of WWI. In the decade after it ended, Winnetka was shocked by its brutal savagery yet moved by the sacrifices of ten young men from their town who gave their lives in the service of their country. The archetype of the cenotaph was installed in 1918 and was a memorial consisting of 10 maple trees that were planted to honor the 10 soldiers. 2 of those trees still remain as of 2024.

The memorial remained until the mid-1920s, when some of the parents of the ten deceased soldiers banded together to form what would eventually become ‘The Winnetka Memorial Trustees’, a representative body of Winnetka citizens that campaigned for the creation of a more permanent and embellished monument. To help further their mission, the group commissioned local resident Samuel S. Otis, a Harvard and MIT trained architect, to design and construct the memorial. The group also proposed building it on their Village Green, a piece of land that was routinely used for patriotic ceremonies and community festivals. They submitted a request to the Village Council in 1926.

After getting their request approved on January 18th of 1927, the trustees were tasked with raising $40,000 ($720,000 in 2024) for the memorial’s construction costs. Despite this daunting amount, over a third of Winnetka’s residents contributed towards defraying the expenses of the project in an astonishing display of reverence, humility, and generosity. The dedication and unveiling of the cenotaph were held the first Sunday after Armistice Day, November 11th, 1927, at which time there were about 2000 people - nearly a quarter of the town - that watched from the lawn with awe.

The townsfolk had good reason to do that. The memorial, including its platform, steps, and benches, was cut from specially selected and designed Tennessee marble. At either end, North and South, two bronze eagles guarded the monument, with a third mounted atop the crest of a flagstaff carved from the trunk of a now 300 year old Oregon fir! The total height of the bird and crest is over nine feet tall and is covered with fifty square feet of beaten gold. The staff itself rests in the security of a one and a half ton bronze base composed with a series of superimposed motives and four intercardinal-facing griffins that symbolize guardianship and ancient heraldry.

The West facing end of the cenotaph contains five marble tablets with the names of the ten fallen. Each tablet contains two names, and above them are ten bronze stars set and plated with 14 karat gold. In the years following its creation, bronze plaques and stars have been added on. They contain the names of Winnetka residents that served and died during the Civil War, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Practically everything about the cenotaph is original and still exists today!

Encircling the top of the centopath is a carved marble frieze modeled by Leon Ilermant of Chicago, a Legion of Honor recipient that was awarded for his work in modeling monuments. The frieze broadly tells the story of the sacrifice commemorated by the ten soldiers it was originally dedicated to. The first panel represents a young man who has just enlisted for war. Beside him stands the figure of a goddess holding a blazing torch, a symbol of the flaming ideal that beckons soldiers like him forward. A group of women with extended arms bid farewell to him as we cross over to the next panel that shows a march full of fresh, armed and ready soldiers. The panels after that show a very detailed and spirited infantry charge while the youth falls in battle holding a flag. A group of angels watches this scene play out while the angel of death beckons in the foreground.

The last panel completes the story of the frieze, showing the dying youth in the arms of the angel of death while clasping the torch displayed on the first panel. Finally, on the East side of the cenotaph, an inscription is etched in the marble. It says, "It is an investment, not a loss, when a man dies for his country". This quote was written by Dinsmore Ely, one of the original dedicated soldiers, shortly before he was killed in WWI. More information on him and his quote’s impact can be found on our Veterans page!

As seven decades passed and the list of fallen veterans grew, the cenotaph started to require maintenance.

Restoration work was initiated in the early 1990s, culminating with a careful dismantling and complete refurbishment in 2009 that was financed through the generous support of the Village of Winnetka and private individuals. In 2017, the memorial was chosen by the United States World War One Centennial Commission and the Pritzker Military Museum as one of the first 50 official "WWI Centennial Memorials” through the 100 Cites/100 Memorials program! These efforts ensure that generations of people can pay their respects to those emblazoned on its walls.

It should be noted that relatively adjacent from the memorial is a green cannon, heavily oxidized since it was used in the Spanish American War. There used to be a second one next to it, but it was melted down to make weapons during WWII. The surviving cannon almost suffered the same fate but was rescued by Sam Otis, the cenotaph’s architect.

Additionally, there is a small monument off to one side of the Green that marks the spot where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. addressed a crowd of 8,000 on July 25th, 1965, likely the largest gathering in Village history. The cenotaph and its surrounding land are still routinely used for patriotic ceremonies and community festivals. If you’re lucky, you might be able to catch a Memorial Day Service or 4th of July Parade!

The nexus of this project was conceived in November of 2022 and took about two years to complete, getting the final touches put on it in November of 2024 just a few years before the cenotaph's 100th anniversary! This site is an Eagle Project and was carried out by Winnetka Troop 20 Scout Jack Rosenthal, who was a senior in high school at the time of its completion. He had been in the program since 2018 and got the idea after participating in numerous parades held annually at the cenotaph.

Not only is this cenotaph an iconic symbol of Winnetka, but a reminder that 94 residents sacrificed their lives so that we may live in a wonderful town whose name is a Potowotomi word that means 'Beautiful Land’. We hope that this project will shed new light on the memorial and the residents of this town who have preserved our democracy and have furthered liberty’s cause.

Some of the pictures used, along with parts of the following information, were taken and edited from snippets of old Winnetka Talk articles and emails sent by VFW Post #4831. I would like to thank Capt. Phil Hoza for supplying me with them, along with his service to our country and his tireless efforts in preserving the cenotaph’s legacy. I would also like to thank Mrs. Susie Schreiber for her unwavering guidance, generous support, and provision of flags.