The Queen Anne house at 5256 Fairmount Avenue has an honorary name that celebrates long-time owner, William Straube.  Members of the Straube family owned the house from 1893 to 1945. William Straube was a land developer and owner of the Straube Piano Company, which was located in downtown Downers Grove. Straube chose the highest spot in the subdivision to build his home. Even today it stands out prominently from the other homes in the area.

William Straube purchased the a large tract of land from Charles Blodgett, son of Israel and Avis Blodgett in 1890. Straube plotted the land into the 13 blocks with lots of varying sizes. The area was registered with the county as Straube’s Subdivision. Blodgett sold the land, the was largely south and east of his home to help cover the costs of moving his house on Maple Avenue just to the south on Randall Road in order to build the house on at Maple Avenue that still stand today and serves as the Downers Grove Museum.