Warren Wheaton house History – Currently the office of Bauer Dentistry and Orthodontics

Warren Wheaton house trivia… Which is NOT true?

1. Warren’s house, our current building, is located on the highest elevation in Wheaton.
2. Dr. Bryan’s great great great great great grandfather gave Warren Wheaton a job when he came to Wheaton in 1838.
3. There is still some of Warren Wheaton’s original exterior wall inside the house.
4. Warren’s brother Jessie’s house is still located at 310 W. Evergreen St.
5. The area west of Mariano’s was once a swamp and still floods.

Answer at end of post.

This photo shows how Warren’s daughter rebuilt the house in 1910.

History of the Warren Wheaton house @ 623 S Naperville Rd

The house was built in 1847 and 1848 by Warren Wheaton. His house and barn are the first buildings of record in Wheaton still standing. After his passing in 1903, his daughter Lucy Wheaton lived in the house until her death in 1944. The house was vacant in the early 70’s. At some point Thorisen Realty moved in but it wasn’t long until Coldwell Banker bought them out. The transition from Thorisen (sp) Realty to Coldwell Banker was about 1978. Thorisen had a large yellow sign on the corner in the 70’s. They were a local real estate chain.

The original hand-hewn oak plank north wall is still present inside our walls and has been exposed in two small areas for people to see the planks. The planks were likely milled either at Graue Mill in Hinsdale or the now gone Gary’s Mill near the intersection of 59 and Gary’s Mill Rd. Until 1910 the house faced Roosevelt but when the first major remodel was done Lucy had the house face Naperville Rd. Below you can see the areas exposed on the right and left of the television in our reception area.

The two exposed areas on either side of the TV are the original section of Warren Wheaton house.

Jesse Wheaton’s house is also still present at 310 W. Evergreen St. It was constructed in 1858. The city of Wheaton bestowed the Bauers and the owner of Jesse’s house, the Lorentsens, with the first ever Wheaton Preservation Award in 2018.

The Bauer family connection to the area and Warren Wheaton.

In 1838 when Warren Wheaton plowed his claim to 6-700 acres of land the only two smokes in sight were Lyman Butterfield and W Woodward. Warren worked in the spring of 1838, for Lyman Butterfield, Erastus Gary and himself. In June, 1838, he made claim to his land.

At Bauer Dentistry and Orthodontics we have a direct family relationship to the settling of our area. Bryan Bauer is the great, great grandson of Cora Maude Butterfield Carter. Cora is the daughter of Loren Butterfield, the grandson of Lyman Butterfield. Lyman Butterfield, for whom Butterfield Road is named, was one of the first settlers of the area. Lyman came to this area with Joseph Naper, whom Naperville is named for. Lyman arrived before the Wheaton brothers and Warren Wheaton had worked for Lyman on his farm before claiming his own land in present day Wheaton. Lyman Butterfield founded Milton Township. Below is an image of Dr. Bryan as a new born baby on the lap of Cora Maude Butterfield Carter and another photo of his mother pictured with both Cora and Ethel Fisk Butterfield, wife of Lorin Butterfield.