1985 Spring Newsletter

Lake Forest Foundation for Historic Preservation, THE PRESERVATION FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER, SPRING 1985, THE HOLT HOUSE: A HISTORY HOUSE FOR THE FUTURE, with Mr. and Mrs. D. R. Holt photographed in Chicago about 1895 and noting Mr. Holt owned a lumber business located on Michigan Avenue at the site of Orchestra Hall, photos courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Simpson and Mrs. Edward Arpee, and showing the D. R. Holt house, “The Homestead,” as it appeared in its early years with young trees and a porch at left later altered with a second story, describing that this beautiful historic house can be viewed today when passing the intersection of College and Sheridan Roads, and stating that one hundred and twenty-five years ago a Chicago businessman, D. R. Holt, built an Italianate home on a high spot in a dense woodland that was to become Lake Forest, that the exterior has remained virtually unchanged in all of those 125 years because of exceptionally durable construction, years of care and maintenance by the Holt family, and careful, sensitive restoration by its present owners Mr. and Mrs. Michael Simpson, and that “The Homestead,” as it was called, is one of Lake Forest’s finest examples of preservation, describing the interior as light and airy with spacious rooms boasting 11- to 13-foot ceilings, many original light fixtures, fireplace mantels, and etched door glass intact, second-floor windows with original six-over-six pane wavy glass attesting to age, intricate hardware and marble fireplaces once painted over returned to former luster by the present owners, and explaining the history of the house reflects much of Lake Forest’s history because the Holt House was built in 1860 not long after the City’s incorporation and became the family’s year-round residence the following year, with Mr. Holt as one of many concerned, active leaders of the young community, one of the signers of the City’s incorporation, one of the City’s early trustees, and a founder of the First Presbyterian Church, helping lay the foundation for the City of Lake Forest as we know it today, and stating much of what the Holts and others like them have done to make Lake Forest the community we have today can remain intact through preservation efforts of today’s owners, and that a visual tribute to Lake Forest’s special character will always be present in the Holt House at 520 Sheridan Road not only because of restoration efforts by the present owners but because it is now protected by a covenant that guarantees its exterior preservation, concluding that the gracious white house with green shutters is part of Lake Forest’s past and will continue to be part of the City’s future, signed Lynn Knutson and Sue Walker, with a PRESERVATION WEEK—MAY 12–18, 1985 banner and a note that in celebration of Preservation Week (May 12–18) the Preservation Foundation in cooperation with the Historic Market Square Merchants Association and the City of Lake Forest will sponsor exhibits and special events in Market Square on Saturday, May 18 beginning at 11 a.m. and inviting readers to join the festivities, followed by the statement that The Preservation Foundation Newsletter is published by the Lake Forest Foundation for Historic Preservation and distributed without charge to the residents and businesses of Lake Forest (repeated), and GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE NW STATION announcing that by Fall the Station Renovation should be complete and the final phase including platform and exterior lighting renovation begins late this Spring, describing that the platform will be repaved with a brick-like material similar to that used in the entry driveway at Durand Institute to give the appearance of original paving without cost or problems of actual brick pavers, that the platform will be extended with paved surface north of Westminster and south of Deer Path, that an ornamental fence (gift of a generous Lake Forester) will be installed between the tracks, that new period lighting will be installed along both platforms along with additional trees and landscaping, and that renovated drainage and other engineering improvements will also be part of the project, explaining funds for this work will be provided mainly by the RTA which will advance monies from its reserve fund so the project can be completed this year prior to the late 1985 granting of federal funds to the RTA, that the grant will provide for improvements meeting RTA specifications, and that this special advance is made possible because RTA and North Western officials are impressed with the substantial commitment the community has already made and have made completion of the Lake Forest platform a priority as an example for other communities to follow, then THANK YOU, LAKE FOREST noting that in appreciation for the Foundation’s efforts in spearheading restoration of the North Western Railroad Station Mayor Francis Farwell presented the Foundation the original watercolor by artist Skip Wood depicting the station as it will appear when completed, to be displayed in the station for all to enjoy, then explaining the RTA grant will not cover extra cost of special restoration items exceeding standard RTA specifications and therefore the Foundation is initiating a final fund drive for 34 platform lights at $1,000 each installed (of 38 required, two donated by the Deerpath Questers and two by an anonymous donor) with lights as excellent items for group or memorial gifts and donor plaques mountable if desired, paving brick at $8 per square foot, additional landscaping for both platforms including Bradford Pear Trees at $375 each and ground cover at $10 per square foot with trees especially excellent group or memorial gifts, and stating tax-deductible contributions may be made using the form on page 3 and that donors can double or triple value through matching gift programs, directing readers who work for listed companies or their divisions/subsidiaries/affiliates to contact personnel or community relations for a form and return it to the Foundation to support the final fund drive, followed by a long list of Companies with Matching Gift Programs including Alco Standard Corp., Allegheny International, Allied Chemical, American Bell, American Express, AT&T Long Lines, Arkwright-Boston Insurance, Armco, Atlantic Richfield Foundation, Automatic Data Processing, Bank America Foundation, Beatrice Foods, Berkshire Hathaway, Boeing, Brunswick Foundation, Bunge, Carrier, Carter Hawley Hale Stores, Celanese, Chase Manhattan Bank, Chemical Bank, Chicago Tribune, Chubb & Son, CIGNA Foundation, Citicorp, Coca-Cola, Connecticut General Insurance, Consolidated Foods Foundation, Container Corporation of America, Continental Bank Foundation, Continental Group, Cooper Industries, CPC International, Dart & Kraft, Deluxe Check Printers, Digital Equipment, Eaton, E-8 Industries, Emerson Electric, Emhart, Equitable Life Assurance Society, Ethicon, Exxon, Federated Department Stores, Field Enterprises Charitable Corp., Fireman’s Fund Insurance Companies, First Trust St. Paul, Fluor, GATX, Genrad, Great Northern Nekoosa, Gulf Oil Foundation, Gulf & Western Foundation, Harris Bank Foundation, HNG Foundation, Honeywell, Household International, Illinois Bell Telephone, Illinois Tool Works, Inland Container, Interlake Foundation, IBM, International Minerals & Chemical, Jewel Foundation, Johnson & Higgins, Johnson & Johnson, Joyce Foundation, Keebler Company Foundation, Kimberly-Clark, Kirkland & Ellis, Koppers, Koppers Company Foundation, Leo Burnett, Lever Brothers, Lumbermens Mutual Casualty, Lydall, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Martin Marietta, McDonald’s, McGraw-Hill, Midcon, Mobil Foundation, Montgomery Ward Foundation, Morgan Guaranty Trust, Morton Thiokol, Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, National Cash Register, The Northern Trust Co., Northwest Industries Foundation, Peoples Energy, Pepsico Foundation, Philip Morris, Pittway, Playboy Enterprises, PPG Industries, The Quaker Oats Foundation, Rexnord, Safeco Insurance, Santa Fe Industries, Salomon Brothers, Science Research Associates, Joseph E. Seagram & Sons, The Signal Companies, Signode Foundation, St. Paul Companies, The Stanley Works, Sun Co., Terson Co., Textron Charitable Trust, Time, Times Mirror, Transamerica, The Travelers Insurance Companies, TRW, Union Pacific, Unionmutual Charitable Foundation, Union Tank Car, United Life & Accident Insurance, United Parcel Service of America, United States Gypsum, United Technologies, The Washington Post, Waste Management, Wellington Management, Westinghouse Electric, Xerox, plus HISTORIC RECOGNITION PLAQUES AVAILABLE stating the Foundation is still offering lovely plaques to owners of historic buildings public or residential who have successfully completed restoration and to apply send a request to Ms. Sue Walker, The Preservation Foundation, Box 813, Lake Forest, Illinois 60045 for details and an application, and WELCOME OFFICERS AND BOARD MEMBERS noting that at the annual meeting Sunday April 21, 1985 the Foundation elected for one year: President Lorraine Tweed (Mrs. Robert), Vice President Mr. William Emerson, Vice President Sarah Wimmer (Mrs. Henry), Secretary Sue Christensen (Mrs. Richard), Treasurer Marge Herzfelder (Mrs. Robert), and for three-year terms board members Mr. Granger Cook, Jr., Molly Heizer (Mrs. E.F.), Mr. William Marwede, Mr. Anthony Ryerson, Nancy Salzwedel (Mrs. Robert), Ms. Sue Walker, and to fill the unexpired board term of Mr. Herbert Geist: Mr. Henry P. Wheeler, and other members including Gail Hodges (Mrs. James), Dr. Daniel Kelly, Pauline Mohr (Mrs. Roger), Patricia Morell (Mrs. William), Mr. Daniel Riess, Susan Skarecky (Mrs. James), with honorary board members Mr. Edward Bennett, Jr. and Mr. Herbert Geist, followed by a contribution form stating “I/We wish to help complete the platform at the Lake Forest North Western Station” with tax-deductible contribution lines for platform lights at $1,000 each, paving brick at $8 per square foot, Bradford Pear Trees at $375 each, and the Platform, Lighting, and Landscaping Fund, plus name and telephone and address, then PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE explaining that because of the Foundation’s concern for Lake Forest’s historic visual character they receive calls about changes affecting the overall visual character, citing discussion about the appearance of the southwestern sector along Waukegan Road as a major gateway and first/last impression, noting that the new Standard Station at the southeast corner of Waukegan and Everett Roads has aroused comment and that if someone had questioned the architectural plans Standard Oil could have offered alternatives more in keeping with Lake Forest, arguing everyone—City Boards, officials, and citizens—must be alert to proposals and require the highest common denominator and standards from developers and not permit hit-and-miss hodge-podge building that will ruin rather than enhance the visual character, urging the same development standards in every part of the City whether already established like the central business district or yet-to-be established like the relatively undeveloped southern portion of Waukegan Road, and reminding that Market Square was once called “a disgrace to civilization” and “strikingly like Sundance, Wyoming, in the ’80’s” before transformation by innovative town planning instigated by civic concern, signed Lorraine Tweed with a footnote 1 Peter Wight, architectural critic, The Western Architect 1917, then TAX BENEFITS FOR PRESERVATION noting the National Trust for Historic Preservation revised and updated its publication Federal Tax Incentives for the Rehabilitation of Historic Buildings discussing the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 allowing a 25 percent investment tax credit for historic property rehabilitation, analyzing requirements and qualifying projects and discussing the 1984 Tax Reform Act implications, with single copies available for $5 including postage and handling from the Preservation Shops, 1600 H Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20006, followed by the membership form for LAKE FOREST FOUNDATION FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION, Box 813, Lake Forest, Illinois 60045 with categories Member $25, Contributing Member $50, Sponsor $100, Sustaining Member $250, Patron $500, Life Member contribution $1,000+ with no annual dues, and name/telephone/street/city/state/zip plus an option to actively work with the Foundation and request a call to discuss areas of interest, stating the Foundation is open to all who share its goal of progress through preservation, and ending with NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 184 LAKE FOREST, ILL. 60045 (repeated) and Lake Forest Foundation for Historic Preservation, P.O. Box 813, Lake Forest, Illinois 60045, CAR-RT.